Two and a Half Doctors
by Jonn Wolfe
Summary: In a similar vein to Time Crash, Nine and Eleven meet each other before the Metacrisis shows up. While companions are given some details, the reason for their crossed time streams lights up the sky.
1. Hello there

**Two and a Half Doctors**

_A Time, Space, and Chips Universe  
Independent Story_**  
**

* * *

**Pairings:**

**Eccleston**: 33 seconds of departure and arrival in "Rose"**  
Tennant**: Time, Space, and Chips continuum**  
Smith**: Post Big Bang

* * *

**Companions:**

**Eccleston**: _None_  
**Tennant**: Rose Tyler, Phea Tyler  
**Smith**: Rory, Amy, River

Rating: **PG-13** (some swearing)

Notes: Hello and thank you for taking the time to read my little scribblings. Please review if it strikes you.

Nemesis: A big bug... Nasty thing.

**

* * *

Thirty Minutes Ago...**

(_Relatively speaking_)

"What is it with these apes, that they 'ave to cling?" The Doctor asked aloud, rubbing his shot cropped hair. He was agitated, annoyed, and upset over Mickey holding Rose back. "She's the one with the unrealized potential. She's the one..." _Oh face it Theta, you _liked_ the pretty girl,_ he thought to himself, frowning.

A bleeping diverted his attention, which was followed by the Cloister Bell tolling. He looked over the controls, slightly confused, before dragging the monitor around so he could see what the problem was. "Tha's not supposed to 'appen."

* * *

The Metacrisis Doctor was at the console with a little girl on his shoulders. He was busy with something at the keyboard, while the girl rested her head on her hands... with her elbows on his head. "You know dear, your elbows are rather pointy," he said.

The girl looked alarmed and instantly sat up straight, then paused before leaning down to kiss his head. "Sorry daddy."

A rather disheveled and bed weary Rose stumbled into the room, wearing one of the Meta's striped shirts, a pair of fuzzy pink bunny slippers, and what was distinctly a bed-head. "Blimey. Don't you two ever sleep?"

They both replied at the same time, with a "Not tired, mummy," over a "She wouldn't go to sleep, so I figured school was in session." This made Rose smirk. She walked over to them sleepily to kiss him on the cheek and give the girl a tickle to a bare foot. She noticed quite clearly that her husband's eyes had rather dark circles under them.

"Ohhh ho ho, you do get tired," Rose mused. "Right, c'mere Phea," she pulled the girl off his shoulders and held her over her hip. "Give daddy a kiss, and it's lights out." This made Phea whine, but she did as she was asked before she was carried out of the room squirming.

* * *

"Oh that's extremely very not good," the Doctor whispered. He ran his fingers through his hair and looked over his shoulder at Amy and Rory coming out of the TARDIS, then back to the sight that confused him. It was the TARDIS _before _she rebuilt herself.

While staring at it, he saw a very familiar man step out looking very much the U-Boat captain that he was once accused of. The Doctor did an immediate about face, and made shooing motions towards Amy and Rory, then River as she was coming out. "No, no! Back inside! Right now! Very bad things! Timelines crossed, very bad. Back inside, hush!"

While the three of them were staring at him like he just said fezzes were cool again, the other Doctor was striding towards them all. He looked, for all intents and purposes, just as worried and pensive as Mr. Bow Tie. "The 'ells goin' on 'ere?"

River looked the other Doctor over with a more than appraising eye. "Ohhh myyy."

Bow-Tie Doctor pointed at River and said, "You. Inside. Now. Paradox." This made River blanch a bit before ducking back inside the TARDIS. To Amy and Rory, he said, "Mr. and Mrs., you're about to meet a couple of my previous selves... So to speak. Don't panic." He smiled wide and whispered, "This is about to be fantastic!"

"Oi! I'm talkin' ta you!" the leather clad Doctor grabbed hold of tweed's shoulder and spun him around.

Bow-Tie was smiling. "Yes, yes! Lots of questions. Questions about time, space, and the universe in general." This made Leather rear his head back. "I know what your thinking. Thinking this is impossible; Thinking some bloke with a bow tie and a bad hair cut is somehow responsible for some very bad things; And... Thinking that something... oh right," he paused just enough to rear his own head back and yell "Contact!" right before giving dressed for leather a head butt.

Amy and Rory stood with their mouths hanging open, while the leather clad Doctor reeled backwards with "You can't be here! You know I was coming here!"

Bow-Tie smirked while rubbing his forehead. "Did you check the chronometer before exiting? No, you didn't. Now stop the chin wagging and listen."

Amy, Rory, and the two Doctors looked around while they heard the tell tale sound of a TARDIS materializing. Three of them turned to look where Bow-Tie was watching and stared where a grey box was coming into existence. "The sound's off. Pitch is too high," the ninth Doctor commented, making the eleventh nod with a grin. "She's not our TARDIS, mate. That one's the daughter of ours."

Leather Doctor blanched with a "What?" while the materializing thud resonated. They all watched as this new TARDIS began morphing into different objects. It was comical with it changing from a forties style car, to a wooden shack, a rather elaborate pipe organ, then settled on a police box. Well, sort of anyway. It looked like one, but as if you were seeing it in a mirror. Even the lettering was backwards.

Amy snickered. "What's wrong with it?"

Bow Tie answered with a simple, "She's an infant. Doesn't know how to operate the chameleon circuit yet. Hold on. There's one more."

The young TARDIS then looked like it was being seen through an elaborate prism. "That's him helping her with it," Bow Tie explained as the prism faded into a proper police box. There was a slight flashing on the door as the circular logo faded in and out of existence for a bit before settling into place, like she was deciding which one to imitate. Leather laughed outright with "Fantastic!"

The door to the new TARDIS opened, and a beakish bloke stuck his head out with his mouth hanging open. "It's now? This is happening _now_? No _Wayyyy_!"

A voice from behind him sparked off. "What's now? What's the matter John?" Then a yellow and pink woman peaked out from around him.

The leather clad Doctor gaped at her. "Rose?"

Rose let out a squeal and bum rushed the leather Doctor, throwing her arms around him. "It's you!"

Bow Tie and Stripes stared at them with bemused smiles. "Hello again," stripes said to Bow Tie, who threw his arms around him in a bear hug.

"Congratulations!" bow tie shouted as he clapped stripes back. "Good to see you again brother."

Leather snapped his head to the two of them, as Rose let go of him. "Brother? What?"

Bow Tie, Stripes, and Rose said in unison, "You'll find out after you regenerate."

Amy had enough. She wriggled out from Rory's arms. "Explain!"

Rose beamed a smile at her. "You have _got_ to be Amy Pond."

Amy's hand went up. "Yes! I'm Amy. This is my husband Rory. Who the hell are you people?"

Everyone except Amy and Rory laughed outright. Leather piped up with a, "Oh I like her. Where's you pick her up?" Stripes said "Leadworth," at the same time Bow Tie said, "Spoliers."

Stripes pointed at Leather while looking at Rose. She got the hint and tugged that Doctor away towards his TARDIS, with him protesting. "Oi! I wanna hear this!"

Rose shook her head. "You can't. Not yet. C'mon. Tell me about JFK."

When they were out of earshot, Bow Tie and Tweed spoke up. "That man in leather and the Northern accent was me two bodies ago." Amy and Rory just gaped at him.

There was a quiet voice coming from their TARDIS. "I want to get to know that one a _lot_ better."

The Doctor spun on his heel. "Back inside! He never knew you, River. You can't know him."

River muttered. "Damn," and headed back to one of the console chairs to sulk.

"And who's this, then?" Rory asked while gesturing to Stripes and brown leather.

He and the Doctor both replied with, "It's complicated."

"Okay. You two seriously need to stop with the twin speak," Amy said. Then she perked up. "You called him brother." She turned to Stripes. "You're the Doctor's brother?"

They looked at each other and shrugged, then the Doctor waved for him to explain.

Stripes held his right hand up. "Technically, we're the same person. This hand was the Doctor's, but it was cut off in a sword fight right after bad temper over there regenerated. Lots of stuff happened in between, but when the version of us that looked like me needed to regenerate, he healed himself then poured the excess into this hand. More stuff happened, then Donna touched it and it grew into me."

The Doctor continued. "He's me and not me. John here is a combination of myself and Donna Noble, a dear friend to both of us."

John smiled, then blanched. "Oh, by the way Doctor. She remembers everything now."

The Doctor's eyes bulged. "I told you not to do that!"

John grabbed a hold of the Doctor's shoulders. "Doctor, Stop. She remembers, she's happier for it, and she and her husband are extremely happy together. It worked out right in the end. No Time Lord knowledge, just her."

The Doctor tilted his head. "You still _feel _like her."

John snorted. "Well of course! I only copied what she did into her mind. I didn't give it outright. Rose wouldn't have it any other way."

Amy was looking between the pair of them, completely lost. "I still... What?"

They looked at her and replied in unison. "I'll explain later," which made Rory snort a chuckle.

Meanwhile, Rose was keeping the other Doctor occupied. She talked about her life with John and their daughter for a while before he interrupted. "So, how did you come to travel with me?"

She smiled. "I knew it." Stretching up on her tip toes, she whispered in his ear. "Just go back to the place you left me thirty three seconds after you left, and tell me the TARDIS is a time machine. You wont be rid of me then."

Rose let herself down and looked up at him, smiling wide and gently rocking back and forth. Her smile crept towards him until he was grinning like a Cheshire Cat. "Fantastic!"

They both heard John shout at them. "Oi! You lot! Safe to come back now!"

While they were walking back, the Bow Tie Doctor whispered into John's ear. John looked startled. "Oh! Right!" He stepped into his TARDIS and found little Phea hiding behind the door. Kneeling down to her, he said "Hey sleepy head. Want to meet your Auntie?"

Phea perked up. "Auntie River's here?" John nodded to her and picked her up. He walked from his TARDIS to Tweed's and stepped inside.

Leather Doctor saw her and caught his breath. "She's gorgeous," he whispered. Rose looked up to him with a proud 'Told you' grin.

John found River with her arms crossed and looking very sullen. "Hello River."

She looked up and saw him holding his little girl. "Oh my. Who's this?"

"This little wonder is Pasephea Tyler, your neice," John smiled. "Mind looking after her while our little soirée is going on?"

River stood up, entranced, and reached for her. "Oh I do. Hello Pasiphea. And how old are you?" Phea giggled and reached for her as well, while her father handed her over.

"Five," the little girl grinned. "And call me Phea. Hello Auntie River. You still making unca crazy?"

River giggled and hugged her close. "Yes I am. Oh she's _delightful_, John. You go on with what needs to be done. We'll discover things here in the TARDIS while you're gone."

John reached over and kissed River's cheek. "Thanks dear." Turning to his daughter, he said, "You mind your Auntie River now. No snappy comebacks or pouting. Got it?"

Phea giggled and said, "I pwomise," while crossing her fingers behind River's neck.

Outside, Amy had caught on to who Rose was, when John scooted past her with his daughter. "You... lucky... _Prat!_" Rory blanched and playfully swatted her shoulder with an 'Oi', while Rose giggled like a schoolgirl.

"Now, now, now, _Mrs_. Pond," Tweed scolded. "You got yours, she got hers."

"I, I, I know... but," she stuttered as John came back outside, silencing her defensive protest.

The Leather Doctor came over to look John up and down. Sniffing, his brow bunched and he frowned. "You're half human?"

John held up a finger. "Ah, ah. You'll find out when the time's right. File that away for now."

"Right. This is about to get a bit undignified," Tweed said as he and John both looked up. All three TARDIS closed their doors automatically, just before there was a thundering boom from overhead. Everyone else looked up with the noise.

Rose tugged at her husband's sleeve. "What is that, a ship?"

Tweed answered for him. "Exactly. That's a medivac ship with severe engine trouble. It's going to crash land somewhere over there," he pointed behind John's TARDIS. "I suggest everyone take some cover... Now!"

John and Leather pulled Rose to hide behind the infant TARDIS with Leather pinning them both to it, while Tweed grabbed the other married couple and pinned them behind theirs. There was an increasing roar as the ship got closer, before there was a thundering explosion. The wind from it roared past the three TARDIS with loads of dirt and fire.

While the TARDIS' were being buffeted, Nine shouted a question at John, "What planet is this?"

Tweed answered Amy's identical question with a yell. "Tribellous Six, after the collapse of the Fourth Plegian Dynasty! Fixed Point Extinction Event that happened some hundred years ago! There are twenty six survivors on that ship that need our help, as well as a rather large bug that caused the crash in the first place!"

Rose shouted to John. "What bug?"

John shouted back, "It's an Pikellan Isomorph! Takes the shape of whatever you fear the most!"

The howling wind died down. "Oh fantastic," The Leather Doctor muttered.


	2. Oops

Even though she was thoroughly disappointed that she was never to meet that absolutely _gorgeous_ man in leather, River Song was completely distracted by the delightful young lady with the dark hair done up in a bob cut. She had to be wearing one of her mother's tees as a sleepover, but the pink really was cute on her - _despite_ the ghastly 'Punky Fish' logo all over the front of it. Extremely amusing was the lilt of a smirk on her face, like she knew secret.

River could definitely identify with that.

They shared that look with each other for a moment, when the TARDIS doors slammed shut, followed by a sudden shift. It was slight, but anything that could affect the TARDIS alarmed her. Her smile never left her face though, so as to not alarm little Phea. Still though, she stood and went over to the scanner and typed one handed while holding her niece over her right hip. Her niece! What a concept!

Shaking her head at her thoughts, she read the scanner. "Oh dear. Seems that someone had a bad fall. Not to worry though, your father and uncle are right on top of it," she said to the little ball of pink and brown perched on her hip. "Now, why don't we see what we can discover in here, eh?"

Little Phea read the scanner herself. "Big fall, then. They bettah make sure the warp shunty don't break open."

River looked at her wide eyed. "Oh, you are _full_ of surprises! C'mon luv. Let's see what the attic has, shall we?" Phea just giggled at her, and clutched River's neck while she climbed the steps out of the control room. Of all the things that River could've suggested, exploring was Phea's greatest weakness and her parents worst nightmare.

"Everyone all right then?" Leather spoke up after the noise died down. This situation was wrong on so many levels for him. But it was meant to be, because he was told the proper phrase to use to get his Rose to come with him. His glance at this older version of her caused him to step backwards. The intensity she was staring at the half Doctor surprised him, and he knew why in an instant - because he could feel a piece of this half Doctor's mind in hers. Confirming his suspicions, he looked at this man and felt the exact same thing... a small piece of her in his mind. That same skinny bloke in brown leather and blue striped shirt looked sideways with his eyes at him... then the bastard winked at him, followed by a grimace of pain.

At that moment behind the other TARDIS, the Doctor winced as a new memory just appeared in his head.

Amy put a hand on his shoulder. "You all right?"

Breathing through his nose, the Doctor shook his head. "No. Not all right. Not all right at all. Time's still in flux. History can be rewritten... rewritten... John!" He bolted from the Ponds to the Tylers and saw that John was having a seizure, with Rose doing her best to hold him up.

"_Doctor!_" he heard River in his earpiece. "_She's gone! Disappeared right in front of me!_"

Overhearing, Rose gasped. "No!"

Amy and Rory rushed up behind Tweed, but Amy stopped when she heard River's statement in her own earpiece and put her hands to her mouth in shock.

"What's wrong?" Rory shouted.

Spinning Leather around by his shoulder, Tweed placed his hands on Leather's temples. "Sorry, but you _Can't_ know that yet." Leather barely got out a 'What?' before Tweed crashed their heads together, erasing the revelation that Leather discovered, the smell he got from Stripes with that revelation, his own declaration of John being his brother, and psychically blocked John's scent from Leather's nose. All within the space of time that their foreheads were connected.

While Leather was reeling and confused, River could be heard saying 'She's Back!' with a small voice saying 'Did I go somewhere?'. Tweed took Rose behind the corner of the infant TARDIS, while Amy tended John. "You can't tell him who John is, other than the Doctor. You hear me? Our lives depend on this," Tweed whispered in her ear, while making like he was scanning her with his sonic screwdriver.

"What happened?" John asked, realizing the woman holding him was definitely not his wife.

Thinking quickly, mainly because she heard what the Doctor whispered to Rose over her ear bud, "You had a bad spell there. You okay? What do you remember?"

Stripes whispered, "Something about babies disappearing," then got a strange far away look on his face. Listening to a voice that only he could hear, he gasped and looked to where Leather was standing bent over and leaning his hands on his knees. "Oh God, that was close," he whispered.

Just as he said that, Rose came around the corner and crushed him in a frightful hug, then ran toward Tweed's TARDIS. Both of the doors opened automatically as she ran to it. As soon as she was inside, they closed again. She flew up the stairs. Her connection that she had with her daughter was her only guide in this now unfamiliar TARDIS. Rose was halfway through the next corridor when she saw Phea scrambling towards her, having felt her parent's panic. Swooping her little girl up in her arms, Rose choked back some tears.

"It's okay mummy. Not gonna leave you," Phea said into her mother's hair, causing Rose to cry a bit harder. River ran up and hugged them both.

Outside, Stripes sighed in obvious relief and patted Amy's shoulder. "S'allright. You can let go now. M'ok, she's safe."

Amy just shook her head with an "Hm-mm." When he scowled at her, she said "Check your feet."

Looking down, Stripes realized that his legs were splayed out and the only things keeping him upright were Amy and his TARDIS. "Riiiight." Tucking his legs in, Stripes stood up.

Amy stepped back a bit, still holding on to him in case he wobbled. "You okay?" When he nodded, she let go.

Rory whispered to Amy, "What just happened?"

Amy thwacked her husband's chest with the back of her hand. "What good is that ear piece if you never use it. Put it on, you daft man!" While Rory checked his pockets, she whispered, "Leatherman over there found out something that he shouldn't know, and their little girl vanished out of existence. Sound familiar? The Doctor just erased that from his memory, and she came back."

Rory, who had fumbled his ear piece in, stopped moving and cut a look over to the Leather clad doctor, his eyes nearly popped out.

Meanwhile, Tweed was pacing back and forth in front of the bent over and recovering Leather. He was flexing his hands, completely agitated, and looking more than a little pissed. "It was me. I did it. I'm the reason we never..." he muttered. Inhaling through his nose, he bent down and took Leather's temples in his hands again from behind him this time, and closed his eyes. Diving into his previous self's mind, he locked down Leather's libido and erected a mental barrier that would cause self doubt and ignorance to Rose's more than obvious affections. The key that would pop it open was very specific: Stripes sitting up naked in the TARDIS, and Donna staring at him with 'You're na-ked!'.

Leather passed out.

Standing up again, Tweed spoke loudly. "Right then. He'll be out for another twenty minutes. Everyone _out_side. Now!"


	3. What the TARDIS saw

Tweed was standing there over Leather, silently fuming. Amy went to his side, while Rory stayed with Stripes. Standing there quietly for a bit, Amy placed a hand on Tweed's arm. "Is he okay? You okay?" Tweed glanced at her and patted her hand, saying nothing.

River helped Rose down the stairs. Phea kept saying that she was all right, but Rose wasn't letting her go. Once she was satisfied that Rose could make it on her own, River placed a hand on Rose's cheek then hurried to the door. Taking in the situation, she made for her Doctor. However, once she was out of the TARDIS, the doors slammed behind her... causing everyone to turn around.

At that point, everyone made for the door from either side. Rose couldn't get the latch to open. She yelled for the Doctor and wanted to get to her husband. Tweed and Stripes were the first ones on the other side, with the Doctor failing to open the door with his key, and Stripes whirring his sonic around the periphery.

River looked at the door, aghast. "What's she doing?"

"Doctor, what's going on?" Amy asked.

Stripes was beating on the door, fit to be tied. "Let me in!"

"Why did the TARDIS just lock them in?" Rory asked.

The Doctor yelled "QUIET! Just shut it! All of you!" He pulled Stripes away from the door, motioning him down and to settle. "Rose? Can you hear me?" Hearing a muted 'Yes', he continued. "I want you to take Phea to one of the console seats, and sit down with her in your lap. All right?" There was a quieter 'Doin' it', and after a few tense moments, the doors opened on their own. Stripes shoved his way through, knocking Tweed to the side a bit.

"Now you protect her?" Tweed asked, rubbing one of the doors. This got a consternated squabble from the TARDIS. As Amy and River made their way through the doors, the Doctor stopped Rory. "No. I need you to stay with him," he pointed at the prone form. Forestalling the inevitable protest, he held up a finger and checked to see if Rory's ear bud was in place. "Yes, good. This is very important, Rory. If we're not back outside before he wakes up, you are to tell him that Stripey boy hit his head, we're tending him, and he needs to stay put. If he attempts to come in after us, treat him like he said Amy isn't more important than the universe."

Rory looked at the other Doctor, then back to his, jaw set. "I can do that."

The Doctor smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Good man. Thank you. Don't worry, you'll hear everything we're saying. Just speak up if he comes round, right?" Rory nodded and headed off. Turning to the doors again, he ran a hand down one of them and blinked as something came to mind.

Tweed found everyone huddled around Rose and the precious girl, who was at that moment wondering if she had done something wrong. Nudging Amy out of the way, The Doctor knelt in front of the Tylers. Briefly touching Rose's cheek, he spoke to Phea. "Hi there. You all right?"

"Did I do something bad?" With all the commotion over her, Phea looked like she was about to cry herself.

Tweed and Stripes said in unison, "No dear, you're fine," then shared a smirk. Rose couldn't help but crack a grin at the pair of them. Looking back to Phea he kissed her forehead and continued. "Phea, when you asked if you went anywhere, what did you see right before it?"

Phea looked at River, who had been kneeling on the other side of Rose. "She acted like she couldn't see me. When she reached for me, I was further away from her than I was. It was really weird. Then she shouted that I was gone. Tried telling her I was there, but she couldn't hear me. Then I was next to her again and she grabbed me and shouted again."

The Doctor stood, pulling River with him. "You were this close, right?" Phea nodded. He stepped back. "Then you were far away, but you didn't move?" She nodded again. He stepped forward again. "Then you were back were you were before?" She nodded vigorously. "Thank you, dear."

Stripes perked up at that point, catching on to what Tweed was going after. Catching the thought that went through her husband's mind, Rose looked at him questioningly. He put a hand on her shoulder to wait while the Doctor continued.

"River," Tweed asked her, "How did she disappear, exactly? Was there a shimmer, or did she just fade?"

River looked pensive and was fretting with her hands. "That's what was so odd, Doctor. We were about to go through one of your old trunks, when a vertical prism appeared around her and only her. Then she was gone. After a few moments she was back, and she appeared the same way she vanished. I don't understand. What happened?"

Tweed smiled big and Stripes beamed with an open mouth chuckle. Rose caught his thought again, and her mouth dropped open before kissing the top of Phea's head. Tweed and Stripes said as one, "Security Protocol Seventy Three." Stripes followed that up with, "Oh yes!"

River put her hand to her forehead. "Of course. _That's_ what it looks like."

Amy was looking around at everyone, happy but completely lost. "And what's that do, then?"

The Doctor turned to her, all smiles. "She hid her! My beautiful, amazing ship hid Pasephea to let us know there was a big bad problem that needed fixing! That's what was so confusing about it all. When you're in the TARDIS, you're protected from temporal anomalies, hiccups in the time stream, and a big... bad... " he tapped Amy's nose with his index finger, "paradox. It does that so the pilot and crew can correct it! She can't talk to us directly, so she did what she had to in order for us to notice!"

"What you talkin' 'bout?" Everyone looked at Phea. "What you mean she can't talk? She talks all the time. Ours does too. You're not listenin'." Eyebrows went up everywhere.

Rose leaned down and to the side so she could look at her daughter. "What're you sayin' sweetheart, you can understand them?"

Phea's brow furrowed, looking remarkably like her father at that point. "Can't you?"

Stripes plucked her up from her mother's lap and spun her round. "You... are... a_mazing_!"

Tweed put his hands to his mouth and turned away from them, nearly bumping into River. She steadied him. "What's wrong?" she whispered. "She's..." he started to whisper, then spoke up over his shoulder, "Rose, quickly. Phea: one or two?"

Rose and John replied in unison. "Two." Then John went further. "Isn't that brilliant?"

The Doctor's breath stuck in his throat. "We can rebuild," he whispered.

River completely invaded his personal space and cupped his cheeks. "Tell me."

"She's a Tender," the Doctor whispered. "Phea's a TARDIS Tender. They're grown, remember? None of them made it to the sleeper ship. That's why the TARDIS had me... " he stumbled over the words and continued with a different sentence. "That's why she saved her," he lied. The TARDIS made a noise and something in his mind popped, causing him to flinch as memories and emotions flooded his brain. "I'm free," he gasped.

River suddenly found herself wrapped up in a skinny hug. She heard him chuckle before he pulled back and snogged her outright. Pulling away, he placed his left hand to her cheek and smiled rather devilishly. "There you are," she cooed. "Bout damn time," she smiled and bit her lip.

Spinning away from her, the Doctor was more than a bit animated. "Right then! Twenty four people to save, big arse bug full of fear sucking badness, and a shunt engine to power down. Let's get to it!" He clapped his hands.

Rose looked at him like he lost his mind. "Did he just swear?"


	4. Off we go, then

Sorry for all the dialogue. We get to the really good bits in the next few chapters. Allons-y!

* * *

_"NEVAR! NEVAR!"_

Rose nearly jumped out of her skin as she ripped her new ear bud out and bounced it off the console. Amy, Rory, River, and the Doctor flinched just as much with each of them going for their ears.

_"What was that?"_ Rory asked from outside, still sitting next to the Leather clad Doctor.

Amy was gaping at Rose. "That sounded like you."

River and the Doctor stared at each other. "Future echoes," they said together. Then the Doctor looked to the doors. "Rory, how's our friend doing?"

_"Hasn't moved. I turned him over on his back. Thought he'd be more comfortable. Whoa. Hold on. Sounds like he's trying to wake up."_

Tweed smiled. "Thanks for turning me over. We'll be right out."

* * *

Rory looked about, confused, and expecting the Doctor to come out from around one of the three TARDIS. "Pardon?"

* * *

Amy rolled her eyes. "That's our Doctor from a long time ago, and he's having you on."

* * *

Rory rubbed his temple. "Right." Grumbling, he muttered. "Git."

* * *

There were snickers from the ear bud wearers in the TARDIS, and the Doctor looked offended. "Oi! I heard that!"

John had by this time retrieved Rose's ear bud and brought it to her, Phea on his hip. "You going to be all right?"

She stared at the offending thing, before taking it and putting it back in. "Y-yeah. Startled me is all." Phea reached over from her father to touch her mother's face. Rose closed her eyes and reached up to press her daughter's hand tighter against her skin. "I know it'll be all right." She opened her eyes to stare into her daughter's brown pools. "I love you too, baby."

River came over and tapped John's shoulder. When he looked over, he could tell that she was a lot more relaxed. He smiled at her, then hefted Phea closer to Rose, who kissed her, then turned her round so he could get his. "Kiss kiss," he said before Phea hugged his neck. "Okay, she may need a nap a bit later. This is early morning for us."

River took Phea. "That's all right. We'll be playing dress up, and all sorts of games. Wont we sweetie?"

"Actually, I'm a bit hungry," Phea confessed, embarrassed.

River arched her eyebrows. "Oh? And what would you like?"

"Can we make peanut buttah and banana flapjacks?" she asked with a big smile on her face. "With marmalade?"

John and Rose both snickered. "It's your fault you know," Rose ribbed him. "Oi. I can't help it if she has excellent taste," he replied, still snickering.

River cringed a bit, but nodded anyway. She held Phea out to them for one last kiss.

"Bye luv. Be good," John said.

"Call me if she starts acting up," Rose told River, who shook her head. "We'll be fine... wont we?"

They watched until River went out the side door, deeper into the TARDIS before giving each other worried looks.

Amy piped up. "She'll be fine. River's great!"

* * *

The four of them exited the eldest TARDIS to see Rory kneeling down to the Leather Clad Doctor, who was flat on his back and rubbing his temples.

Tweed knelt down on the other side. "There he is. How you feeling?"

"Oi, my 'ead's spinnin'," Leather complained as Tweed and Rory helped him up.

Stripes spoke up. "You were brilliant! Sorry about falling on you by the way, although I must say you're a fine example of an air bag." Rose and Amy snickered, while Rose elbowed John's ribs slightly.

Leather glowered at him. "Wha'd I 'ave to inhale to become tha' cheerful?"

"Right then," Tweed interrupted. "Let's get a move on," he ushered everyone along. Putting his arm around Leather's shoulders, he apologized. "Sorry mate, but between the three of us, you're the best at jiggery pokery. While Rory and I tackle the bridge, Stripes and Amy here are going to tend to the ward. We need you to shut down the engines. That all right?"

Leather was still wincing a bit as he was helped along, still rubbing his forehead. "Yeah... Yeah, I can do it. What they got?"

"Warp shunts, mark five models," Stripes answered.

Leather looked up. "Oh tha's easy... ooohhh." He winced from the motion.

"Easy mate, you had a hard knock," Tweed advised. "Don't look about so much."

John and Rose looked at each other, then nodded. Rose kissed him fiercely, then went to the other side of Leather to replace Rory. "I got him." Tweed let go a bit, then let Rose handle him when Leather nodded slightly. "Don't worry. I'll take care of ya," Rose told him.

As they crested the reddish and rocky hill, a plain as far as the eye could see was revealed to them. The only mar in the reddish grey landscape was the long gaping wound the ship made when it crashed. It started at the horizon and ended relatively close to the hillside, where a burnt white and green ship could be seen. The upper half of a green moon crescent within a circle could be seen on the side of it.

Amy looked at it, confused. "That's an ambulance? Where's the red cross?"

"A green moon is the universal medical symbol out here. Has been for centuries." Rose answered. She winked at John, remembering.

Rory asked, "So what year is this, then? That looks way advanced... for a wreckage that is."

"Five billon and seventy five," Leather answered.

"Five billon and seventy eight," Tweed corrected. "You missed your target, remember?"

"Noooo, You're both wrong. Five billon and eighty two," Stripes argued.

Rory laughed. "None of you have a clue do you?"

"Nope, more fun that way," All three of them said at once.

After the laughter died down, Amy asked, "So what's this bug thing? Sounds like a Boggart."

"A wha?" Leather asked.

Stripes smiled. "Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling. You'll love it."

"Yeah, but no ridiculous wand flicking to get rid of these," Tweed commented. "They're a mental parasite that feeds off of fear. Give you nightmares, make you see things that scare you. All to drink up the fear it creates. Ghastly way to die."

"Yeeeaahhh," Stripes said. "We should probably get a move on before it feeds on those twenty people."

Amy, Rory, and Rose looked at Stripes, then the other two Doctors. Then Amy and Rose locked eyes.

"You notice that too?" Amy asked.

Rose nodded. "Yeah."

"Notice what?" Tweed said, looking around.

Rory looked at him. "You're counting down, the pair of you."

"No we're not," all three Doctor's said at once. Leather being the only one to say 'they're' instead of 'we're'.

Amy looked at them all, flabberstaggered. "You started at twenty six!"

"You said twenty four when he was out," Rose said, indicating the Leather Clad Doctor she was helping walk.

Rory finished for them. "And now you're at twenty."

Leather stood up straighter, his headache forgotten. The three of them looked at each other and said at once. "We need to hurry. Run!"

* * *

In one of the corridors of the ship, an insect that looked to be a cross between a beetle and an ant stepped away from a dried out husk of one of the crew.


	5. Tweed and Rory

The sextet spent little time in their mad dash to the ship. Minus a couple of trips and catches, the six of them got down the hill relatively unscathed. The trio of Doctors had made a beeline for one of the ship's air locks, and were inside faster than you could say 'sonic'.

Once inside, the married couples hugged their significant others with a kiss and a cuddle, before pairing up and splitting off with a Doctor each. Tweed had distracted Leather while John and Rose had their moment.

Tweed and Rory came into the bridge at a full run. While the Doctor was whizzing about at various stations, Rory piped up with the question that'd been bugging him since he first heard that they were heading for the bridge. "Doctor, why is it you wanted me with you here? I mean, I'm a nurse. Think I'd be more help in the ward."

The Doctor had his sonic out and was busy breaking into the ship's computer mainframe. "Ah, here we are then. The log." He looked up at Rory's question. "Yes, that does seem a bit off doesn't it? Honestly, you wouldn't have been much help in there. None of the rescued people are human, and I didn't want Stripey Boy distracted with having to explain that morphine, valium, and other things you'd normally want to use. They're particularly deadly to them with their copper based bloodstreams. Amy, on the other hand, doesn't have that nursing degree hampering her, and will do whatever he says without question."

Rory frowned at that, looking particularly offended. "What is it with you and being stand off rude all the time? I mean, I'm perfectly capable of deferring to a medical doctor's orders," he huffed.

The Doctor was half paying attention to him and the log at the same time. "Okay, they're from Padronis. No... the ship was. They're from that conglomeration." He paused, looking up and remembering. "Platform one was full of them." Shaking off the memory, he gave an apologetic look at his friend. "Sorry. I know you'd be a real help with medicine, and I know you can handle them being blue. But," he paused... frowning. "You know, I don't really have an explanation for that. Feels like you're supposed to be with me. It's strange. Everything's fuzzy." He frowned again, frustrated by something. "I don't like that."

Rory's eyebrow arched, confused at witnessing the Doctor admit that he didn't know something. That was usually bad. But then again the Doctor also spent a good three minutes talking to him one time before recognizing that he was alive again, so it was all suspect. "You'll figure it out. So what's so special about the log?"

The Doctor smiled, grateful that Rory had so much faith in him. "Well, it looks like whatever happened to the ship happened about six light years out. Which is odd, since they rescued a freighter almost three weeks ago. And where's the crew anyway? Haven't seen one body - live or dead - since we got here."

Rory didn't know what to say to that, but then Amy distracted them both over the comm. "_Oi, you lot. We found some blue people in the ward. Yes yes, I'm getting to that. You're just as bad as he is. Also found at least three rather chalky dead people in the halls. What? Right. Yeah. They didn't last long. They seemed to just crumble to dust while we were walking past. The other you wants to know if the bridge and engine room are dusty._"

Rose's voice came before the Doctor could respond. "_Is that what that is? Oh those poor people. And I've got them on my hands! Ew ew ew ew._" Leather's laughter came over the comms.

The Doctor was pulled out of his chuckle by Rory tugging at his sleeve. "Hmm?" Rory just pointed at several places around the room. Taking a closer look, he waved his sonic over the white, chalky ash that were in piles in several different places around the bridge. He looked at his screwdriver before closing it. "Oh. Right."

Rory, not liking the situation, turned his attention to the log. Mimicking the Doctor's previous gestures on the screen, he scrolled down. "I thought you said there was just one of these things on board."

The Doctor spun on his heel. "What? There was! Outta the way." He pushed Rory to the side to see what he was talking about. His eyes bulged as he read, and he tapped his comm to un-mute it. "Ladies and gentlemen, there are two very large, very bad insects on board. One looks something like a large black ant. The other resembles a spider with a large stinger of some sort. The log isn't very specific, and it just stops mid sentence."

There was some chatter on the comms as the girls relayed what he said. Amy spoke up first. "_He's telling me that's not how he remembers it. He's busy deadlocking the room now._" Rose was next. "_Amy, tell him to get his other sonic out. The Doctor just flipped out when I told him that._"

Rory stared at the Doctor. "I thought you said he was you from a long time ago?"

"He is!" The Doctor complained.

"Then why does he seem to know more than you do?"

"I don't know! This doesn't make any sense at all! None of this is what I remember!" The Doctor suddenly grabbed the sides of his head and gasped loudly. Rory caught his shoulders as he nearly fell. "What's the matter?" Rory asked as he heard Rose gasp at the same time over the comm.

The Doctor had tears streaming down his cheeks. "It's in the med ward! John! That's not her! Fight it!"

Amy voice shrieked over the comm, and Rory completely forgot the Doctor as he bolted out of the bridge. "Amy!" He didn't know where he was going, but everything in him was focused on finding his wife. Over the comm, he could hear both the Doctor and Rose shouting at Stripes.

Rose: "_That's not me!_"

The Doctor: "_John! Fight it! You're stronger than that thing!_"

There was static on the line before River's voice joined in. "_Doctor! What's happening?_" Little Phea could be heard shrieking, before screaming in the background. "_Fight it, Daddy! Fight it! I love you!_"

Rose: "_Shoot it! Shoot the bloody thing! That's not me! Listen to Phea! That's not her either! Shoot it! Just shoot it!_"

There was a strange noise and Rory could hear both the Doctor and Rose blow out their breaths. Phea also stopped shouting, but River was still at it. "_Doctor! What's going on?_"

"_We found that damned isomorph!_" the Doctor said.

Rory turned a corner just as he heard the Leather Clad Doctor scream in obvious agony over Rose's comm. "_No! Not my Doctor! John!" _His blood went cold as he heard Rose shout, "_Nevar! Nevar!_"

He was halfway down a flight of stairs when he suddenly vanished.


	6. Stripes and Amy

John was making his way carefully through the corridors, Amy right behind him. "You're more cautious than ours. I like that. He just swans in and expects everything to be fine," Amy said.

Stripes grinned as he opened a hatch. "Thanks. Not quite as long lived as yours, so I've had to make some adjustments to how I used to do things. Plus, this is our first outing since Phea was born, so I'm a bit out of practice."

"So what's it like?" Amy asked.

John turned his head. "Pardon?"

"Being him and not him, I mean," she explained.

He grimaced. "Bloody confusing, to be honest. Oh, that's not good."

"What is it?" Amy asked, sticking her head around his shoulder. "Ew."

John knelt beside a stark white corpse. Even the clothes were drained of colour. Pulling out his sonic, he scanned it. Doing so though, caused it to crumble into a pile of ash. "Ohhh blimey," he said after he read the results. "That's not how it's supposed to go."

Amy crouched beside him, wrapping her arms around her stocking covered knees. "That doesn't sound good. How was it supposed to go?"

He stood and pulled her along while he explained. "They're supposed to be desiccated. Well, I mean they _are_ desiccated, but not to _that_ extreme. They were supposed to just be drained of all their fluids." Amy made a face and he continued. "Pikellan Isomorphs fill your head with visions of your worst fears and drink in that emotion. It's supposed to cause a sort of boiling away of a person's internal fluids, leaving a dried up husk. This though... oooh another one." The vibrations from their footfalls caused this one to implode to ash. "Yeahhhh. That's just wrong."

He paused while sonicing another hatch, and Amy quizzed him some more. "So, what's so different with this? I mean, could it be that the thing's just a lot bigger than you remembered?"

John flashed her a smile. "I can see why he likes you." She grinned back. "While that's a good theory, the isomorph doesn't have the ability to shatter the bonds between cells. _Well_... I suppose it could, if it was say more than one or something. But even then they don't have that... " The hatch slid open. "... _voracious_ of an appetite. Oh dear."

They stepped over another crumbling corpse, and found themselves amongst some groaning and moaning people. John walked in and spoke loudly. "Right! We answered your distress call. Those of you that are mostly okay point at those who aren't!" Fingers went up everywhere, and John went straight to the one that most of them were pointing to. The blue lady looked to be _very_ pregnant and was shuddering from a piece of bone sticking out of her leg.

"Oooh... hallo dear. Don't worry, we'll get you fixed up right as rain. Amy, hand me that square rectangular looking device... no the other one... the green one." Once he had it in his hand, he placed it on the lady's swollen back. "Looks to be all right. Yeah, your baby's fine, love." He looked over at Amy. "Get on the air and tell them what's going on."

Amy stood back and pressed the comm in her ear. "Oi, you lot. We found some blue people in the ward."

"They know that. Tell them about the bodies," John complained.

"Yes yes, I'm getting to that," she made a face. "You're just as bad as he is. Also found at least three rather chalky dead people in the halls."

"Their cell membranes were shattered!" John complained again. "Sorry dear, this is going to hurt." John took hold of the woman's ankle and knee, then pulled them apart rather sharply. She gasped in pain as the bone was pulled back into her leg.

Amy frowned at him. "What? Right. Yeah. They didn't last long. They seemed to just crumble to dust while we were walking past."

The woman whimpered as he manipulated her leg. "Sorry. Ask them if they've seen anything like that, or if there's ash about."

"The other you wants to know if the bridge and engine room are dusty," Amy relayed.

Rose spoke up. "_Is that what that is? Oh those poor people. And I've got them on my hands! Ew ew ew ew._" Leather's laughter came over the comms.

John's nose crinkled as Amy smirked. "That'd be a yes. Sounds like Rose accidentally got some on her hands, there," she said.

"She's not happy, I can tell you that," he said as he was busy wrapping a splint around the lady's leg.

Amy tilted her head as a thought occurred. "About that. Meant to ask you before. How do you two know what the other one's doing? It's almost like you can hear or feel each other... or something?"

John smiled at the lady and went to another patient, who had a head wound. "We're bonded, Amy. And you got it exactly right. We feel what the other feels, and can even hear each other think. Hand me that red bottle of antiseptic."

Amy grabbed the bottle and handed it over. "You can hear each other think? That's why you gave the comm to her then, I take it?"

John nodded as he dabbed the man's head. "Exactly. No sense in keeping those two in the dark back there. Oooh... sorry mate. I know that stings. Hold on, I'll wrap it."

John was busy fetching a bandage when the Doctor came over the comm. _"Ladies and gentlemen, there are two very large, very bad insects on board. One looks something like a large black ant. The other resembles a spider with a large stinger of some sort. The log isn't very specific, and it just stops mid sentence."_

Amy's eyes went wide. "He said there's more than one bug. An ant and a spider?"

John paused in his wrapping. "That's not right. A spider? I don't remember a spider..." His eyes went wide and he rushed to the door. "Tell them I'm deadlocking us in!"

"He's telling me that's not how he remembers it. He's busy deadlocking the room now," Amy said into the comm.

She heard Rose speak up. "_Amy, tell him to get his other sonic out. The Doctor just flipped out when I told him that._" Amy was about to when he saw John pull something that looked like a gun out of his pocket.

A chill went down Amy's spine. She looked up slowly to see an rather large ant the size of a small dog crawling on the ceiling. "Doctor..."

"Got it!" John said as he turned back around.

"Doctor..."

John was walking back to the head wound patient.

"DOCTOR!"

John's head snapped to Amy, then looked up slowly to where she was looking. He came nearly face to antennae with the thing, and gasped a huge intake of air. The room changed slightly. The patients and Amy disappeared, only to be replaced with Rose in one bed and Phea in another.

In his head, John fell next to the bed with 'Rose' on it. He just stared at her wracked and broken body.

The patients in the room all started panicking and trying to get out of their beds, or hiding... generally, it was a mass of moans and silent knowing terror.

Amy rushed over to pull John back and out of the way when the bug looked at her. A rapid flashing of images flooded her mind: Rory crumbling to dust; Watching the crack devour her husband; The Doctor being shot by a Dalek... But that last one made her scream. In it, she was strapped in a straight jacket and in a padded cell. "Noooo!" She fell backwards onto the floor, and up against one of the med tables.

"_Amy!_" Rory shouted over the comm.

Back in John's mind, he was busy trying to put Rose's intestines back into her body and sobbing loudly. '_Daddy... help me._' He turned to see his baby's legs torn off.

In the real world, John screamed bloody murder.

In his head, he saw phantom images of the Doctor, Rose, and Phea fading in and out of the horror he was in, and all screaming at him at once.

'_That's not me!_'

'_John! Fight it! You're stronger than that thing!_'

'_Fight it, Daddy! Fight it! I love you!_'

'_Shoot it! Shoot the bloody thing! That's not me! Listen to Phea! That's not her either! Shoot it! Just shoot it!_'

'_What th' 'ell?_'

The hand that was holding the sonic blaster came up slowly. His entire body was shaking from the attack. Slowly, the phantoms of his wife, daughter, and brother came into focus - pushing away the horrid images of his butchered family. As they propped his mind up against it, the bug slowly started to become visible.

John found that he was still standing in the same position, staring at the thing that was hanging from the ceiling. His thumb rotated over the power setting on the blaster as it came between him and the isomorph. Screaming, he fired at it full blast.

The bug disintegrated along with a square-ish section of the ceiling, and the abrupt shock of the pressure releasing caused him to pass out. Amy watched him fall, but wasn't able to move. Her body was shaking with sobs, and all she could do was wipe at her eyes while John vibrated on the floor.

Amy barely heard River on the comm and her Doctor's answer, but she stiffened when she heard the other Doctor's blood curdling scream over Rose's comm, followed by Rose. "_No! Not my Doctor! John!" _She gasped when she heard Rose shout, "_Nevar! Nevar!_"

Both Amy and John then rippled from existence.


	7. River, Phea, and the TARDIS Matrix

River tried real hard not to have a disgusted look on her face. Watching Phea scarf down flapjacks smothered with peanut butter, bananas, and grape marmalade though, she failed miserably. "How in the name of sanity can you eat that?"

Phea had just slurped some marmalade off her top lip. She grinned just as wide eyed and maniacally as her father. "They're good! Try some!" she said with gusto.

River just shook her head. "Noooo. You can have the lot."

"Your loss." Phea giggled.

A thought occurred to River. "So tell me. How is it you can read the scanner?"

Phea swallowed her current oversized bite of banana. "I'm very good."

This made River snicker. "Oh really? And what about your accent? One minute you sound like your mother. The next, your father. Then when I think I've seen it all, you sound like any other five year old, mispronouncing words."

Phea bowed her head conspiratorially, with her eyes darting back and forth. "_Welllll... _mum likes it when I sound like she expects. But dad..." she giggled. "Dad can't say no when I turn up the cute factor."

River couldn't help it. She burst into a loud cackle. "You cheeky thing! I can't believe you just said that!" She laughed some more.

Phea giggled right with her. "I know. Terrible isn't it?" She put a finger to her lips and made a shushing noise.

A sound that neither of them recognized started to hum throughout the kitchen.

"What's that?" River asked.

Phea's eyes glazed over as her smile vanished, listening.

River stared at her. "What's wrong?"

* * *

Meanwhile, in the TARDIS matrixes...

Everything was white. Nothing to show what up or down was. Couldn't even consider anything the floor or ceiling, either. The eldest TARDIS appeared as a somewhat middle aged, raven headed woman in the red robes of the Prydonian Order. A girl in a pink 'Punky Fish' hoodie, sort of resembling a blonde Phea at around nine years old, appeared next to her.

"Mum? Something's wrong. I can feel it," the girl said.

The woman held her hand out for the girl to take. "I know dearest. Try not to worry. This has to happen."

* * *

Outside, the eldest TARDIS shot a beam of golden energy from the light box on the top, to the light box on top of the youngest. A second beam tried to latch on from the Eldest to it's predecessor, but it was blocked by arcing energy.

* * *

Inside the matrixes, the girl hid behind her mother as they were joined by a younger version of the elder, dressed similarly, but with darker colors. "What are you doing?"

The Elder frowned at her younger self. "What do you think I'm doing? I'm protecting the time line. You should know better!"

* * *

In the kitchen, Phea answered River's question. "They're arguing."

River looked confused. "Who's arguing sweetie?"

"The TARDISes. Something's happening or going to happen, and they're arguing over how to handle it."

River just looked to the ceiling.

* * *

Outside, the Eldest TARDIS was trying to connect to her younger self, and still being blocked.

* * *

In the matrixes, the pair were nearly beyond words. "I can't believe I was this stubborn," the Eldest muttered.

"You remember what he was like after Rose said no! Four months of pining away in his room! He even tried committing suicide on the Titanic! If this is what he wants, I'm going to give it to him!"

The Elder pulled their daughter out from around them. "What about her? If you do this, she'll cease to exist."

* * *

Phea shot up from her chair, startling River into nearly falling out of her seat. "No!" she shrieked.

* * *

The younger flinched from Phea's shout, and the Elder just stared her former self down. "You heard that too, don't deny it. They didn't all die, but Phea is the only Tender in existence besides her father. You do this, and they'll disappear as well, condemning our race to extinction."

The younger closed her eyes, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"I know this is difficult, but you have to bear his pain for a while longer. He doesn't know yet, and if he does... everything will change and our two races truly will be dead."

The younger choked back a sob, "I'm sorry," and reached to take her Elder self's hand. Then their daughter reached up to take her other one.

* * *

Outside, the beam finally connected with the younger ship. This was followed up by the youngest starting her own beam, connecting with her mother's younger form.

* * *

In the kitchen, Phea sat down abruptly and started crying. River rushed around the table and picked her up. "Sweetheart, tell me. What's happening?" Phea just clutched at River's shirt for a while before she settled.

Swallowing back her tears, she finally whispered into River's ear. "It's ok. They're all protecting us now. Unca's TARDIS is telling me to be brave."

River held her close and looked to the ceiling again. "Brave? Why sweetie?"

"B-b-b-b'cause something _horrible_ is about to happen," she stuttered, right before going into a fit. "DADDY!" River jumped nearly out of her skin when Phea started screaming.

She tapped her comm. "Doctor! What's happening?"

Phea shrieked, "Nooooo! Fight it, Daddy! Fight it! I love you!"

Instead of hearing the Doctor answer her, she heard him screaming at John. Then Rose's voice came in louder over them all, "_Shoot it! Shoot the bloody thing! That's not me! Listen to Phea! That's not her either! Shoot it! Just shoot it!_" River heard the tell tale whine of a sonic blaster, and Phea went limp in her arms.

She tried again and was almost frantic. "Doctor! What's going on?"

"_We found that damned isomorph!_" the Doctor replied.

Phea stiffened and clutched at River's shirt again. "It's okay." River rocked back and forth trying to soothe her.

Phea shook her head violently. "She's telling me it's going to rain."

"What?"

Phea looked to the ceiling. "That's what I said!" There was a pause while the TARDIS explained. "Oh," she sniffed. "She said to say it exactly like this: "The oncoming storm is coming." She looked at River. "What's that mean?"

River stiffened and gasped as she heard that as well as the earlier Doctor screaming through Rose's comm, followed by Rose herself. "_No! Not my Doctor! John!" _River held Phea tighter when she heard Rose shout, "_Nevar! Nevar!_"

Three Cloister Bells Tolled and Phea screamed like she was dying.


	8. Leather and Rose

Rose was following the Doctor through the back end of the ship. She was trying not to laugh. "Shu' up. Get off. You're full of it!"

The Doctor turned his head, grinning like an idiot. "It's true! There really was another gunman! Two in fact. Not on the knoll though. One was on the overpass, and the other git was hiding in a culvert under the street." They stepped around a corner and came to a hatch. His sonic came out, whirring.

"That doesn't make any sense, and you know it," Rose said, playfully slapping his shoulder.

The hatch slid open and they stepped through. "The angle was perfect! Jack was sitting high up in that motor, you know. One of the most disgusting things I ever saw, too." They walked through, and continued down a flickering corridor.

Rose laughed. "Still think you're makin' it up."

They came to the final door that was labeled 'Authorized Personnel Only', and the Doctor smiled. "Here we are. Engine room." A quick sonic and they were through the hatch. The engine room was massive. Supports and consoles were everywhere. In the back were three massive engines, painted orange. "Yup. Mark five warp shunts, just like your Doctor said. This'll be easy."

Rose swallowed, uncomfortable with the conversation all of a sudden. She tried directing it towards the engines themselves. "So, what do we do? Is there a plug we can pull?"

"Almost. This way." As the Doctor led Rose through the engine room, a quiet chittering was masked by the hum of the engines. Crawling along one of the cooling pipes was a rather large scorpion. Unlike Earth scorpions, it didn't have massive pincers. Instead, there were three fingered, segmented claws that it could use like hands. The tail ended in a sort of cross between a sting and a sideways grip claw, with the barb in the middle of the grip. It was horrid looking.

Rose knelt down and ran her fingers through some sort of white powder. "What's this?"

The Doctor's sonic was over her fingers, scanning. Reading the results, he grimaced. "You don' wanna know. C'mon."

They were about four steps from that pile when Rose put a hand on the Doctor's arm. Amy rang through the comm loud and clear. "_Oi, you lot. We found some blue people in the ward. Yes yes, I'm getting to that. You're just as bad as he is. Also found at least three rather chalky dead people in the halls. What? Right. Yeah. They didn't last long. They seemed to just crumble to dust while we were walking past. The other you wants to know if the bridge and engine room are dusty._"

Rose brow scrunched in sympathy. "Is that what that is? Oh those poor people." She blanched as she realized what that meant. "And I've got them on my _hands_! Ew ew ew ew." She rubbed them on her jeans, then got a mortified look on her face as she realized what she was doing... which was rubbing a persons ashes into the fabric. Her hands jerked up with a stifled squeak coming out of her mouth.

The Doctor's deep baritone belted out in laughter. "Tol' you you didn' wanna know! Should'a listened." He snickered some more when she whapped his arm hard with her fist. "Ow! Oh, stop your fussin'. Here we are. Oh... There's trouble." The panel they were in front of had broken levers and banged up dials. "Doesn' matter." He whipped his sonic up and started going over the controls, clicking them off one at a time.

The other Doctor came over the comm. Rose tilted her head and held her hand up to get Leather's attention. _"Ladies and gentlemen, there are two very large, very bad insects on board. One looks something like a large black ant. The other resembles a spider with a large stinger of some sort. The log isn't very specific, and it just stops mid sentence."_

He looked at her. "What is it?"

"The Doctor said there's two. An ant and a spider?" Rose's face twisted up in confusion.

The Doctor's eyes went wide, and he stopped what he was doing. "No! We have to kill it before it grabs someone!" he flailed his arms out, starting to panic.

Rose held up her finger as she heard Amy again. "_He's telling me that's not how he remembers it. He's busy deadlocking the room now._" Rose hit her comm again and spoke up. "Amy, tell him to get his other sonic out. The Doctor just flipped out when I told him that."

The scorpion was lower in the room now, stalking. The claw-barb was jittering excitedly. She was so close now that she needed a distraction, so the scorpion sent a call to her slave, who provided it brilliantly. She would've smiled if she had the face for it. Instead, she hissed contentedly.

Rose grabbed the Doctors arm violently, and gasped as she felt pure terror rip through her. The Doctor caught her, and heard his bow-tie self through her comm. _"It's in the med ward! John! That's not her! Fight it!" _His eyebrows shot up, with the name '_John?_' going through his head. '_Who's tha'?_'

Shaking her head through her tears, Rose grabbed her head and screamed, "That's not meee!" She was shaking uncontrollably now. "Oh god," she whispered, "our baby."

Reeling from this information, the Doctor heard his other self shout, "_John! Fight it! You're stronger than that thing!_" He heard a woman he didn't know ask what was happening, and then a shriek of a little girl. "_Fight it, Daddy! Fight it! I love you!_" The Doctor's jaw dropped.

Rose had him by his leather lapels and screeched, "Shoot it! Shoot the bloody thing! That's not me! Listen to Phea!" her voice cracked. "That's not her either! Shoot it! Just shooooot iiiit!"

Something in the Doctor's mind ripped apart. Everything that his other self tried to hide from him came back all at once. The fear that Rose was experiencing shot through his hearts, as he felt the _Half-_Doctor's terror rip through the tattered and ruined mental block. In shock from multiple directions, the only thought he had on his mind was "_What th' 'ell?_"

The Doctor heard a shrill noise through Rose's comm, and her knees buckled. His mind still whirling from the everything he heard and felt, Rose slipped from his grasp and fell to her knees, sobbing. He didn't even hear that other woman and the other Doctor talk to each other, he was so stunned.

"_Now!_" the scorpion thought as she jumped with glee from a panel, directly onto the Doctor's back. Eight legs wrapped around his torso, as her 'hands' held his head still. Her tail whipped up and plunged the barb into the back of the Doctor's skull, gripping it with her tail claw.

The Doctor stumbled forward, muscles clenching all over and screaming as unholy agony ripped through his mind. He didn't hear Rose shriek next to him though, instead a cooing and gentle voice caressed his mind. "_You can have her, your Rose. She's yours._" And before he realized he did it, he answered, "Yessss_._"

Horror was all over Rose's face, she grabbed one of the broken levers and stood up to beat that _thing_ off the Doctor's back. She recognized it, as it reminded her of that beetle monstrosity that was on Donna's back all those years ago. "No!" she shrieked. She knew what could happen and the only thought on her mind was, "Not my Doctor! Johnnnn!" Rose swung in a blind panic, hitting it once and screaming at the top of her lungs. "Nevar! Neva-a-a-a-a-a-r-r-r-r-r-r!"

Time seemed to slow around the Doctor. He turned his vacant expression towards Rose, as she made her second downswing. He could only stare, fascinated, as her blonde hair rippled into a dark red and grew longer. Her blue jumper changed into a forest green, button up blouse. A black leather jacket shimmered into existence around her. Her light pink lipstick changed into a deep scarlet, and suddenly those lips were on his... in a full on, open mouthed snog. He faintly heard static, popping and hissing over the comm that was now in his ear.

The engine room they were in rippled and changed around them, as the rescue ship changed into a Padronis shipping freighter. The bright light and white walls changed into a dark grey, with flashing yellow lights. The Doctor didn't even notice. Instead, he groaned as he gave himself into the deep and wet kiss, savoring the feel of her tongue shoving itself over his own. He was only vaguely aware of a slightly female sounding chuckle in the recesses of his mind, before it slipped away.

He was lost.


	9. PARADOX I! Don't Forget Me

Tweed's eyes glazed over, and he suddenly felt very, _very_ warm. He lost his equilibrium, and caught himself on the log console with his elbows. Vacantly staring at his reflection in the monitor, his appearance reverted backwards one body. The long lock of side swiped hair that was over the side of his face shortened, and spiked themselves on top of his head.

Panting, he looked down and didn't notice his tweed outfit ripple and shimmer, changing into a slate grey three piece suit underneath a black leather trench. Completing the outfit, were a different set of combat boots. Ones that fit anyway. They still looked like the ones he used to wear when he first met his wife, though.

He looked around in a daze. "What was I doing?" Standing up, he ran his hands over his face and up into his hair. "Ohhhh, S'right. _Isomoprh_ Hun-ting... Br-r-r-r-rilliant," he rasped, rolling the R's and chuckling darkly. Cole black hair and steel blue eyes on Stripe's face stared back at him from the dead monitor. He grinned when he heard some heavy snogging going on over his ear piece. Cackling, he tapped his comm and shouted. "Oi! Hands off my woman, you randy bastard!"

* * *

Rose broke the kiss with a giggle. "Oh, c'mon! S'not like I'm cheating on you! I'm just showing the big boy what's coming_. If_ he hurries up and gets his steel arse back to two thousand five, that is," she rasped in a husky voice, gripping said body part with one hand. "Aren't I, sweetie?" she purred. Seeing the Doctor's smirk, she kissed him again and drew her nails over his buzzed scalp.

* * *

"I said stop it! That's just wrong, woman! O-bey me!" he laughed like a loon. Mimicking his dead frenemy's catch phrase tickled him to no end. Having shot him twice: Once when he was Prime Minister and had assassinated American President - the other when he was the conduit through the Time Locked Time War... It just made it all the funnier. The Master never saw them coming, either! Shocked the hell out of Rassilon and his mother too, not to mention Jack.

_Hmmm... Wonder where Jack got off to? Oh that's right! Cement closet for daring to kiss my wife, after we prevented the Master from causing that paradox with the Toclafane... _Without _my permission no less! _

_Yeah, that's right. Git. Oooooh, she was livid for _weeks_ after that! No matter. I'll go pick him up again in the twenty third century after his sentence is over. Love fighting with that man just as much as shagging him. Learned so many nifty things from him too. Like... _"Dammit! Distracted again!"_

* * *

_

Rose broke the snog with her husband's former self, pouting. "You're no fun at all," she muttered in disappointment. An eyebrow went up as she heard what he was thinking about, though. "You can join us if you like?" she smirked.

The Doctor bellowed his laughing approval and pulled her close. "_Rassilon_, I can't wait to pick you up!"

Rose rasped into his ear rather breathlessly. "Just remember to tell me, '_Did I mention that it also travels in time?_' and I'll be in your bed in less than a week," she licked the tip of his earlobe. "Two weeks after that and we'll be bonded," she whispered... then growled, "Don't forget to treat me right though, or you'll ruin it." She ran her finger down the length of his nose.

The Doctor shivered as her breath did the most _fantastic _things to his ear canal. Rose smirked at what she could do to him, and nibbled his ear lobe for good measure.

* * *

The Doctor couldn't help but grin at the pair of them. "Cheeky woman. Still have to find that damned bug! Now quit distracting me and shut down those engines, preferably before they radiate all four us!"

Rose scrunched her nose. He was correct as always, of course. "Oh all right," she sighed. "You heard him. Shift." She slapped the Doctor's arse. Grinning like a madman, the Doctor resumed shutting down the phase point gyro one handed. His arm was around Rose so that he could gently rub the side of her pregnant tummy. Rose's hand drifted under the back of his trousers, slipping around a muscular buttock. She sighed with the contact.

Rose's eyes looked over to his back in confusion. Shrugging it off, she pressed closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "When this is over, I'm raiding the pantry," she sighed, "Mmmmmm... pickled bananas."

* * *

Phea was still screaming and sobbing as River was running at a full bolt to the console room. "They're _gone_! Mummy and Daddy are _Gone_!" she wailed. "I can't _feel_ them anymore!"

"I know, baby. We'll get them back! I promise!" River soothed, barely believing it herself. She ran into the console room, up the small flight of stairs in two bounds, and was at the keyboard so fast that she barely had time to breathe.

Grunting loudly, she whipped the monitor round to where she was. Staring at it blankly, she shouted. "Dammit! I can't _think_ like this!" Her hand went under her hair and to the base of her skull, but Phea stopped her with a shout. "Not yet! She says not yet!"

Reluctantly, she tore her hand away with a growl and just stood there, holding her niece. Rocking slowly, she leaned against one of the guard rails as tears started streaming down her face. "No, no, no, no, no, no," she said under her breath, trying not to cry. "This is all _wrong_!" Looking to the ceiling, she shouted at the TARDIS for help. "Tell me what to do!"

* * *

In the TARDIS matrices, the girl's knees buckled. "Mother! It hurts!" The two of them pulled her up and into a three way embrace. Both women's faces were strained as they held their daughter / future daughter tightly.

* * *

Outside, the golden beams had changed to bright mauve. The two from the older ships pulsed energy down them towards the youngest, stabilizing her. Shimmering energy curtained down to the ground, surrounding the area in between the three ships in a triangular and stable time frame, while the paradox raged all around them.

* * *

The younger of the two muttered, "This would be _so_ much easier in the vortex."

"I know, but we can't move without them. It has to play out like I remember, or it's all for nothing," the elder said. "Phea! Listen to me, and do exactly what I tell you!"

* * *

"Heeeeere isomorph, isomorph, isomorph," Grey sing-song-ed then chuckled, spinning a sonic blaster around his index finger. "Come and get your num-nums." The lights went out, sparking the emergency ones on. He tapped his comm. "Oh, good work! Now get your fannies up here and help me hunt down this timor-r-r-rous beastie," he snickered, rolling his R's again.

"_On our way, baby._" Rose giggled over the comms. Grey grinned. Rose was eleven months pregnant, and would soon be giving birth to his son in another three. Life was good. The boy had even named himself already! Pride swelled through him as he ducked under a half shut hatch. "There you are!" He fired, missing the ant and blasting a gaping square hole in a bulkhead and floor. "Damn! Hurry up you two! Things quicker than I thought."

* * *

Phea nodded at what the TARDIS was telling her. "She wants you at the typewriter," she sniffed as River went quickly to the ancient keyboard. Phea wrapped her arms and legs tightly around her aunt, so she had both hands free to type. "Enter delta seven, pi epsilon, matrix twelve, slash theta, slash meta, slash sigma."

River's fingers scrambled to enter the information. It was still difficult though, with Phea crying in her ear. Something clicked her head as she typed, though. "Ohhhh, that's brilliant. You wonderful ship! I could _kiss_ you if you had a mouth." Instead, she kissed the nearest piece of actual TARDIS she could get to. Which happened to be one of the console brace supports.

Phea spoke up again, translating, and felt a bit better. "She said thank you, and to go to panel four. Blue, green, amber, amber, red, mauve. Clockwise four, contra three."

"That'll open the panel!" River protested.

Phea squeezed her tighter. "She knows."

"Oh, I hope you know what you're doing!" she grumbled at the TARDIS.

Phea kissed her cheek. "Put me down before you do it. I love you."

River's eyes bulged, realizing what was happening. "No!"

"You have to!" Phea pleaded. "Trust us!"


	10. Author's Note

** Author's Note **

This story has two possible endings

...

And they're at war with one another

*growls*

* * *

I'm very sorry that it's taken so long to get this out, but I really need to get the muses to stop squabbling. It's annoying, and has given me numerous real life headaches. I know things have come to a screeching halt, and for that I'm very, _very_ sorry.

Tried distracting them by reading other stories, and got completely caught up in the "Something Old and New" universe, by cheri1. It did get the muses to stop squabbling, but they did something nasty and went to do something else, hence the new blurb stories up here.

Now... for some information about what's happening in this story, with regards to the paradox.

* * *

The 'Time Scorpion' (_my creation_) is related to the 'Time Beetle', only instead of adjusting a single decision in one's past, it lowers a person's self control and corrupts a persons decision making abilities altogether. All of the Doctor's future decisions have been compromised the moment it latched on to Nine. He wants Rose, so he's taking her. End of.

In this altered history, Rose is doing everything she can to ensure Nine goes back to pick her up - hence all the feminine wiles she's spewing. For her, she's been bonded/married to the Doctor for years, so she's more than interested in keeping that history intact.

Tweed has been rolled back to Stripes, only it's slightly different with that thing on his back. His hair is coal black, and his eyes are ice blue. Everything else is the same, save for his style of dress. So, it's Tennant's Ten, only with a monochrome style of dress: Nicknamed 'Grey'.

Grey... _or 'Gothic Ten' as Kathryn Hart dubbed him _(love that), is more like the 'Time Lord Victorious' from 'The Waters of Mars'. In the Paradox, Ten shot the Master instead of the White Point Star - as well as Rassilon's gauntlet.

No hesitation,  
No overload,  
No soaking up of radiation,  
No exploding regeneration...  
All with that Time Scorpion on his back. So now there are two of them. _  
Well_, the same one of course, but now it's in two places.

Feel free to ask questions if this doesn't make sense.

_Oh... "Nevar" is my battered English for Rose's accent on the word "Never". =P_

Lastly:  
The temporal reapers are being held at bay by the three TARDISes,  
just in case anyone was wondering.

Dangerous? Yes.

Necessary? _**Hell**_ Yes.

* * *

I'll do my best to whip the muses into some sort of order.  
Tirra.


	11. PARADOX II! Into the Fire

**_A/N_**

**_Really appreciate all your kind words and everything. Helps in keeping things going, knowing that people are wanting to read it. =)_**

_**Feedback is always appreciated, now on with the show...**

* * *

_

As soon as River finished entering the initial information the TARDIS gave her through Phea, four sub stasis fields opened up within the larger one the three ships were generating. In each were ghosts of the people voided by the paradox... phantoms, whispers, their last millisecond frozen before they vanished.

Amy's was up against the eldest TARDIS, leaning against it as she was the medical table and stuck wiping her eyes; Stripes' appeared flat on his back in front of his TARDIS, mid convulsion; And Rory's, well... his appearance could be considered the most unusual, since he was about a foot off the ground mid leap. While there was a fourth one that was next to Stripes, the image inside it was very, very warped and out of focus.

* * *

Inside the eldest TARDIS, an argument was taking place. Were it not for the subject matter, the idea of a full grown woman arguing with a five year old might have been comical. As it was though, two very determined females were at complete odds with each other.

"I will not!" River shouted, hands on her hips and adamant. "For one thing, your parents would _kill_ me. For another, you're far too young to even be considering this! Three years? _Maybe_. But now? Absolutely not!"

Phea was looking up at River from the floor at this point, and looked like a true mixture of her parents. Her arms were folded over her chest with her head tilted like her mother, but her expression was nearly identical to her father's when confronted by something _very_ annoying. "S'the only way to get them back before the ripples hit the Doctor's present. If that happens, then the Doctor's past will be in a vacuum."

River's face twisted up in confusion. "What _are_ you going on about?"

Phea looked up to the ceiling when the TARDIS gave a warning hum. "Can't be 'elped." Looking back to River, she tried to explain what she knew without revealing too much. "This place doesn't exist. If we don't get him back here with the TARDIS protecting him, Unca' dies... _Twice_!"

Looking at her like she just sprouted a second head, River was at a loss. "What makes you say that? How can you even know what goes on in a paradox for that matter? You should be concerned with equations and languages, not temporal physics!"

The TARDIS gave another warning hum, but Phea ignored it. Stamping her foot, she yelled at her. "Because the TARDIS r'members this! She _knows_ what's going to 'appen!" At that, the console sparked angrily. Phea looked at the console like it was the embodiment of the ship itself, and sounded just like her mother. "You shut it! You know I can't do this withou' her! When that box thing catches up, ever'thin' will be _ruined_!" Her hands slapped themselves over her mouth when she realized she said too much, eyes wide with shock and embarrassment.

River's head reared back, completely and thoroughly confused. "What box?"

"F'get I said that," Phea mumbled through her fingers. Taking a second to breathe, she lowered her hands and tried very hard to remain calm. "A fixed point thingy is going ta change and toss everythin' on it's 'ead if _your_ Doctor's not there ta fix it."

River narrowed her eyes at the little girl, astonished at both what she was hearing, and at herself for even considering what Phea and the TARDIS were planning. "Let's say I do go through with this. What's to say that it will work? It could kill you stone dead!"

Phea's hands went to her forehead, completely frustrated. "_This_ is what da' feels like. Don't like it. He' gettin' 'nana sundae when this 's over... w' sprinkles," she muttered.

Kneeling in front of Phea, River tried to not feel offended. "Sweetie, you _really_ don't have to do this. If we need to get their attention, I can do it."

"You can't. Not yet. You will, b'not 'til you _know_," she said quietly. "Not like I want to, 'cept in a way I already done it. Well, wibbly-wobbly I mean. Don' mean m'not scared, but if it will get mum and dad back..." her face screwed up.

Tears streaking her cheeks again, Phea quietly pleaded with her. "I _have_ to get them back," she whispered. "You d-don't unner_stan_'. There's this big _rip_ in me where they'_s'posed_ ta be." She started sniffling as her anger gave way to panic. "I have to get them back," she whimpered. Covering her face with her hands, she lost what little control she had left, which wasn't much to begin with. "P-_please_ help me. I c-c-can't do this by... by m-m'_self_." Not able to hold it back any longer, she quietly sobbed.

Gathering her up in her arms, River sighed. One thing she couldn't stand above everything else, was a crying child. "All right," she said quietly. "I hate it, but I'll do it." She kissed the top of her head. Her family were going to _kill_ her, she just knew it.

* * *

"You took your sweet time," Grey scolded the pair as they sauntered in, acting like the universe was on pause. "And don't think I don't know what you've been doing." He glared at his former self. "This one's mine. Go get your own, big ears."

Grinning like the cat that ate the canary, Leather replied. "Fully intend to."

"It's just memory lane, sweetie." Rose put her arms around her proper husband. "Nothing more, and you know it. Honestly. Jealous of yourself?"

Grey harrumphed, then spun his head in the direction of a skittering he heard. "This way!"

* * *

Inside the matrices, another argument was taking place. The younger was protesting the situation with her older self, while their daughter was clinging to them.

"It has to be done," the elder stated flatly.

The younger almost yelled. "She's just a child! Not even fully Gallifreyan!"

"Yes she is."

The younger stared down at her future daughter in shock. "What? That's biologically impossible. Her mother is human and her father is half human."

"Don't ask me to explain it, because I don't know," the daughter said. "It may have to do with her mother seeing into the heart of you, but she's nearly one hundred percent Gallifreyan. She was even born with two hearts."

The younger looked at the elder. "She looks into me? Wont that kill her?"

The elder shook her head. "I don't know how it happened either, but Rose has something deep inside her that allowed her to live. It woke when she merged with my heart, saved our Beloved, saved their friend, and saved her home planet. It was remarkable. What they're doing now, I watched as you, and was just as dumbfounded that it worked."

* * *

By this time, River had panel four open and was making some adjustments to the inner circuitry. She was doing this only because she knew _exactly _what Phea meant by a rip inside her. She knew that feeling all too well, and that alone was what forced her fingers through their motions.

Phea had taken herself down to a squat, and was staring at the base of the console. She was horribly frightened, but the thought of never seeing her parents again gave her the courage to go through with this bit of unlikelyness. There was a click, and the subpanel she was staring at lowered.

River tried to reason with her one last time. "I do this, and there's no going back."

Phea breathed deep. "Jus' do it."

* * *

"Mummy. It's starting. Can you feel it?"

The elder looked down. "Yes, dearest. I know."

The younger's eyes widened. "What's happening to the stars?"

* * *

"Gotcha!" Grey shouted. Leather had provided a distraction to the ant thing, both to divert its attention from Grey as well as Rose.

Rose let out a whoop when Grey disintegrated the thing, along with the inner and outer bulkheads. Daylight streamed in from the hole. "That's got it!" Leather shouted.

"That's how ya do it!" Grey crowed.

The three of them came together in an awkward combination of hugs and back slapping. Then both Doctors stiffened and turned to look in the direction of their two TARDISes.

* * *

River sent a silent prayer to the cosmos in general, and flipped the final contact with her eyes closed. She heard the inner panel opening below, then she both felt and heard Phea's scream.

Brilliant, gorgeous, and _terrible_ swirling colors of light and dark cascaded out from the center of the console. Phea could do nothing but stare at the fantastically horrible display of power before her. She saw what little past she had as well as a fantastically long future before her. Her own timeline revealed to her by the TARDIS link to the vortex. She could see her uncle standing before something similar when he wasn't that much older than she was now, and saw him run away from what the Untempered Schism revealed to him.

Phea's short hair was flung backwards by a breeze that wasn't felt anywhere else. On top of her own timeline, she could see her uncle's and both of her parents. She screamed when she saw her uncle's end, and couldn't stop screaming even though she was overjoyed that her parents went nearly as long as hers. She saw the paradox she was inside and the potential of it ending everything, but she realized it was going to be okay when she saw it unraveling while she watched. "Mummy... Daddy... _please_ come back..."

* * *

"Do you hear..." Grey started to ask.

Leather answered just as breathlessly, "Yes."

"Wassamatta?" Rose asked. Then she heard a little girl calling to her. The voice caused her to clutch at her chest. She stepped to the hole in the bulkheads and ducked under them like she was on autopilot.

Leather and Grey watched and asked "Rose?" at the same time.

"Calling... me. Something's... wrong," Rose said softly as she exited the ship through the square hole. She hopped down a couple of feet to the built up dirt that was around the ship, then slid down on her bum. The two Doctor's followed after her.

"_It can't be!_" Grey thought to Leather. "_They're all dead!_"

Leather was just as confused. "_That's a Time Lord consciousness though. Just a baby._"

Rose stumbled on the hill when she heard her son protesting in her mind. "_Don't listen to her! She wants to kill me!_" Both men were instantly beside her, holding either arm to steady her. She gasped, and both arms wrenched out of theirs to the center of her chest. Feeling wetness, she looked at her right hand and saw blood.

"Rose!" Grey shouted when she went to her knees. When they saw the blood on her hands, they laid her on her back and popped the buttons off of her blouse. Underneath her left breast was a laser wound that was bleeding profusely.

Leather deadlifted her and shouted to Grey. "Get the TARDIS open!" Grey thought about arguing, but seeing his wife in such a state buried that. He nearly flew up the hill. Leather wasn't ten paces behind him. But, they stopped when they saw one TARDIS too many, and all of them connected together by artron beams.

Too panicked to care about what they saw, they shook out of their stunned expressions when Rose coughed up some blood and started running again. Leather came up short when he saw Grey bounce off the energy field. Leather stepped up to Grey, who was now beating at the field with his fists. "Take her."

Grey stopped what he was doing and took Rose into his arms. Leather then stepped forward and went to touch the field. He was surprised when his hand went through it easily. He flipped his hand over to stare at it through the field, then pulled it back out. He was about to say something when Grey flipped out.

Turning to look at them, his eyes bulged when he found that he could see through Rose. "No no no no no no no no no. Rose! Stay with me! Please!" Grey begged.

Rose's transparent face looked up at her husband. "Was a good run, yeah?"

"The best," Grey said through tears.

She ran her fingers over his cheek and smiled. "Doctor... I love..." and she vanished.

"NO!" Grey shrieked.


	12. PARADOX III! Revelations

_**A/N: This is the climax of the story. Sorry it took so long. I ended up merging both resolutions into one cohesive unit. This is not the final chapter.

* * *

**_

Grey collapsed to his knees, sobbing. Leather bent down and placed his hands on his shoulders. "We'll fix this. I promise." He could feel his future self's mind being torn apart from the absence of his wife's mind in his. Grey gripped Leather's arms when he started to shake, and his head fell back as he let out a primal scream.

* * *

River was gaping at Phea. She had tried to shut the inner and outer panels, but they refused to close. "Look away, baby! Phea! Look away!" She stood there horrified when a small trail of golden particles streamed into Phea's eyes. Brief though the stream was, Phea stiffened and stood up as the panels closed on their own.

* * *

Inside the matrices, the elder closed her eyes and leaned her head back.

"Mum?"

* * *

River wasn't sure what she was seeing, but it resembled what the Doctor told her about Rose. She flinched when she heard the reverberating voice that came from the girl.

"Hello River Song. Nice to have you hear me for once."

River swallowed nervously. "A-are you the... Bad Wolf?" She didn't know what was more disturbing, the voice, or the giggle that came when she asked that question.

"No, dear one. She is still dormant in your niece's mother. I am the TARDIS."

River crouched so that she was at Phea's eye level. "So... W-what happens now?"

Phea's hand came up to hold River's cheek. "Now, we get our beloved back," she smiled warmly.

River flinched when she heard a scream coming from outside the ship. Phea's head turned to look at the door, then back to River. "Remember. You will _know_ when to do it. Don't hesitate."

River tried to smile. "I wont," she said with a quivering voice.

* * *

The leather Doctor simply held his future self while he went mad. Unnoticed by him, the warped image inside the fourth sub stasis field coalesced to reveal Rose in her second downward swing, fury on her face. In the middle of the field, a fifth one slowly appeared.

Grey grabbed Leather's lapels. "Help me! By Rassilon's Soul, _Help me!_"

Leather felt his hearts breaking at what he was seeing. "Stay here. I'll get in the TARDIS and set up the subharmonics." He made to stand, but Grey still had a death grip. "Listen to me! I have to get in there! The barrier doesn't affect me, so let go!"

Pulling Grey's hands off of him, Leather stood and bolted into the field. There was a sparking crackle around him when he passed through the barrier and he stopped, momentarily confused. Shaking his head, he heard the TARDIS door open. Turning his head to look, he was startled by the sight of a little girl in a pink tee stepping out. "Wha'?"

"Hello Doctor," Phea's voice reverberated.

The Doctor blinked rapidly, then stared at her. The glowing eyes unnerved him. "Who th' 'ell are you?"

Phea smiled. "I'm the only companion that's been with you throughout all of your adventures." She patted the door. "It's interesting stepping out of myself," she giggled.

"That's impossible," the Doctor said, wide eyed.

Phea's head tilted, amusement on her face. "Since when has that ever stopped you?"

The Doctor shook his head rapidly in an attempt to clear it. "We have to set up a stasis field! Rose has been pushed out of time!"

The TARDIS sighed. "Oh Beloved, it's blinded you. You're standing in the stasis field now." She pointed. "Behind you stands Rose Tyler in the last millisecond before the paradox even started."

The Doctor turned and didn't see what she was pointing at. However, when he concentrated the image of Rose slowly came into his awareness, along with an improperly dressed Doctor. "Wha'?"

"She's lying to you, that voice in your head." Wincing, the Doctor fell to his knees as the voice in question pressed harder. "Don't listen to her Doctor. Everything she says is a lie." The girl was closer to him now. "That voice as stripped you of your greatest asset, and corrupted your entire being."

Sounds of thumping sparks could be heard. The Doctor turned his head to look at his future self beating the barrier again. Grey screamed at him. "Don't listen to her!"

Phea patted the Doctor's shoulder. "Watch, as history catches up with him."

Grey stopped his frantic assault on the barrier when he felt something grab his wrists. His confused "What?" turned into snarling when he was dragged backwards by unseen hands. "What are you doing?" he demanded of the little girl.

Phea's face looked pained. "I'm sorry Doctor, but you brought this upon yourself."

Leather watched with morbid fascination as Grey looked to be placed in an unseen chair. He struggled against bonds that he couldn't see. In a final act of defiance, he shouted at his former self. "Don't listen to her! Listen to meeeeeeeee-ah!" His voice was cut off when invisible doors closed in front of him.

Gaping at the place where Grey used to be, he whispered. "What 'appened ta him?"

Phea's hand turned his head to look at her. "His past caught up with him." She pushed his chin up. "Look at the sky." The Doctor did as he was asked, and saw the sky darken. Explosions could be seen where the stars were supposed to be. A slight rumble shook them, and he could see a bright blue swath cross the sky. His mouth hung open. "That was the universe ending," the TARDIS said as she pulled his head down to look at her. "Now, look around us."

Turning his head, he saw everything in a mauve tint. Seeing the beams, he realized they were the only source of light anymore. He gasped when he saw beyond the barrier and couldn't see anything but blackness. "H... how?"

The TARDIS pointed at Rory. "That one wasn't there to get you out of the Pandorica."

River looked out from the TARDIS, petrified at the scene or lack thereof. _Pandorica?_ She thought, confused.

"Rose does love you, but she wasn't meant for you." The TARDIS explained. "She was meant for your niece, this little girl in front of you, so that our world could be born again. If you try to hold on to her mother, she'll slip away like you just saw. In the paradox, she was shot by a Nestene Duplicate that was impersonating her father. When she dies, New Gallifrey will fade with her along with this entire universe."

Tears spilled down The Doctor's face. "But I don't want to be alone," his voice cracked. "I can't _stand_ it anymore! I _need_ her!"

River fully understood now what Phea and the TARDIS said to her earlier. She knew it was _now_, and rushed out of the TARDIS. Phea stepped to the side, and River knelt in front of his surprised face. "You are not alone, Theta. I'm waiting for you here, now, in this place, in this very moment. See Rose for who she is. Not what you want her to be," she begged.

River reached up behind her head and under her hair. "Rose helped you out of the darkness when I wasn't there. She helped you see and experience life in the way you remembered so long ago. She healed you and I love her for it." Wincing, tears spilled out as she tore something from the base of her skull. And all at once, the wonderful and recognizable river of music cascaded out from her. The song of her mind laid bare in front of him in all of it's resonant glory.

"You're alive!" he rasped... stunned, shocked, and overjoyed. "R-"

Crying in pain, she placed her hand on his lips as he was about to say her real name. "Don't ever call me that again," she whimpered, her words unsteady and shaking. "I don't deserve it. Not anymore. Never again. I destroyed so many lives. Caused whole worlds to scream in terror, never understanding why that mattered until our world burned. When all of their minds screamed in the absolute horror of their destruction, I knew. I knew it like a slap in the face," she choked back a sob.

"The comprehension came at so high a price that I nearly went insane from it all. I heard your scream of anguish and guilt when theirs faded, and I was so ashamed and afraid. I couldn't face you, so I ran away... silencing my song and hiding from you... with this." She held up the coin sized device for him to see. It's bloody prongs with bits of skin and hair revealing just how she removed it.

In his shock, he finally felt it. That horrid thing clutching his back. It was still crooning to him, telling him that he could do whatever he wanted. He could take Rose and be happy together. It could be so easy. So right. So... _tempting_. But seeing how she died, The Doctor screwed his eyes shut, and grabbed River's hands. "No. I wont do it." It pushed his mind harder, forcing various images of Rose in compromising positions into his head. "I SAID _NO_!"

River held his hands tighter and yelled, "Yes! Fight it, Theta! Fight it. I'm here!" She joined him and pushed back against the alluring siren's call, adding her strength to his own. In a last ditch effort, she wrenched her hands free and grabbed his head, pushing herself into the Doctor's mind and shouting right along with him.

Together, they yelled, "DIE!"

Arcs of red energy sparked and crackled from behind him, and they screamed in pain. There was a high pitched screech of terror as the Time Scorpion reappeared, falling from his back. It writhed futilely as it died, stabbing at the air with its legs and tail.

The Doctor fell forward into River's arms, sobbing. She cried with him while shushing and soothing him. "Shhhh. I know Theta. I know. Just let it all out," she whispered while rubbing his back. He reached out and clutched her tightly to him.

The light in Phea's eyes trailed out and went back into the Elder TARDIS. Free to move on her own, she couldn't stand to see them in pain any longer and wrapped her arms around both their heads, telling him that it was all right and crying along with them.

It was some time before they settled. But when they did, Phea looked around and didn't understand. "Why's it still dark?" River and the Doctor looked up to see that the three TARDIS were still joined by their beams of artron energy, with nothingness behind them.

"I have to forget," The Doctor said simply, sounding defeated. He dreaded the moment, because he knew that he'd be alone again. He wasn't sure if he could even do it. Everything felt so useless to him, and he shook with silent sobs.

River could see his anguish, and she kissed his forehead. "Let me. You broke it before, because you built it. You're too bloody smart for your own good, and you know all your mental patterns."

He looked up and into her eyes. She really was rather pretty in this incarnation, and he wished he would be able to remember her face. In the end, he closed his eyes and nodded in resignation. "Do it."

Placing her hands on either side of the Doctor's face, River pulled his forehead to hers and spun herself deep into his mind. He didn't resist. And as all of his mental defenses slipped away, River Song saw the horror of the Time War again in all of it's destructive terror, but from his agonizing point of view.

In that moment, she saw things that she never knew before. She was in the periphery towards the end, but he was in the heart of it all. Now a witness, River saw the madness of Rassilon in his insane reach for true immortality when he came to power and threw her to the side; the final sanction that would have ended time itself; and the dark decision the Doctor had been forced to make in order to save all of creation. She experienced all of his emotions as he shattered the seal of the Eye of Harmony, and the horror of it all at once nearly broke her.

In that dark pit of his despair, she saw the flimsy shreds of the barrier his elder self tried to contain all of that rage and want and need, nearly laughing in hysterical amusement at its absurdity. Instead of trying to contain it, she used all of that anger and pain; weaving the barriers into them so they would conceal the truth of this day. Seeing what his elder self intended, she enhanced it and folded back his desperate need in on itself. Weaving it together, she blended it with all of his memories so that he would never see anything except the false day of saving lives from a Pikellan Isomorph, and know the phrase which would start his recovery with Rose. Her final design was to time it so that it would release itself only after he experienced this day again.

When River opened her eyes, she finally noticed that his hands were on her face. Without her knowledge he had clung to her with his mind, anchoring himself by stepping through the connection she made. River saw her mistake with a small gasp, and instead of trying to undo it... she welcomed it, knowing full well what it meant for both of them. Feeling part of him in her mind, it warmed her in ways she never realized could exist before and she nearly swooned from the experience. So when his voice said the word before the barrier was complete, she responded in kind.

The word he said was an all encompassing possessive Gallifreyan lyrical word, which only very loosely translated to English as "Mine."

Her voice cracked. "Yours. Always yours," she replied, feeling him sigh and fall back into the blackness of unconsciousness, satisfied. His hands fell away from her face, and she leaned him over to his side gently. She kissed him and tried to smile, but the moment of separation by the closing of the memory barrier was so overwhelming. A keening started in the back of her mind, found voice in her throat, and ripped out of her as a wail. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed loudly, wanting him back.

Phea backed up, scared to hear another scream that spoke so clearly of loss. It was so like the other one that sounded like her father, that she hugged herself and started to cry.


	13. Winding Down

_**A/N: Some of this is a bit angsty, but it switches over to somewhat whimsical in the middle, then downright comedic at the end. Well, the story has a happy ending, so that's a bit expected I guess.**_

_**And by the way, this is **__**my theory**__** on who River is, not TSC's... yet. In **_**my**_** mind, it's the only thing that makes a lick of sense. While I don't spell it out with her **_**actual**_** name, those in the know of how the Time War was handled can figure it out. **_**;)**

_**Lastly, this particular version of bonding comes straight out of "Proof", by Olfactory-Ventriloquism. **__**Very**__**Hot**__**Reading**__**, and I highly recommend it for those over the legal age. You young people stay clear! lol**_

_**Still not the last chapter...**_

_**ALLONZ-Y!

* * *

**_

River was so consumed in her grief over the absence of the Doctor's mind, that she completely missed the return of daylight. Of course, that was hardly unexpected since her face was buried in her hands. Phea however, definitely heard her mother's shout when she finally finished that second downward swing of hers. Feeling the mental tugging of her parents reassert itself, she shouted with complete joy, "Mummy! Daddy!" and immediately ran off to her parents that faded into existence with the wind, air, and sky.

Tweed stood up with a gasp from his bent over position in the direct center of the field, which was dissipating. Feeling the barriers in his mind fall away, he grabbed his hair in shock and spun around to see River crying in total agony next to his ninth self. Wide eyed and dumbfounded, he walked over slowly in order to come to grips with the real memories that finally flooded his mind. Part of him was wondering how and _why_ he snogged her earlier, but the rest of him was completely focused on who River really was. To say that he was flabberstaggered, would have been a rather large disservice to his state of mind. He was completely beyond words as he felt her pain.

When Tweed's arms began cradling River from above her kneeling and shaking body, she finally felt him again. Her only thoughts were, _He's Here! Now!_ In complete desperation, she stood and spun round, latching herself fiercely onto the Doctor that reappeared in her mind. Her bawling got louder, now from relief instead of pain.

Tweed held and rocked her from side to side, whispering and shushing her. "I'm here Ro..." He caught himself and swallowed. "I'm here River, shhhh." She shouted a lyrical, Gallifreyan word into his neck through her sobbing.

"Yes, sweetie. Your Theta Sigma. Your Doctor." With those words, they shuddered both physically and mentally with the beginnings of a Gallifreyan Marriage Bond. They both felt their hormones starting to flow through their systems, and became even more desperate. Pulling back, they stared at each other with large eyes, and were both panting rather breathlessly. He snogged her again.

Tilting sideways, the Doctor took her legs with one arm and dead lifted her in a cradle carry. Turning, he walked quickly towards his TARDIS, snarling that same Gallifreyan word his ninth self uttered both seconds and ages ago. She responded by burying her face in his shoulder, saying something unintelligible as English was temporarily lost to both of their enflamed minds. Fortunately, not one of the TARDISes translated what they said, as small ears were close by.

Stripes was in the same vibrating, and prone position as he was when he vanished from the ship. Rose had crumpled next to him, realizing it was somehow over. She pulled him into her lap and quietly cried from the violated feelings she was experiencing, kissing his forehead over and over with silent apologies.

Their TARDIS scanned and identified the cause of their distress, but she had to call to her mother when she didn't know how to help them. The eldest of the Time Ships shone a nearly invisible beam at both of them, gently blurring away the guilt ridden memories of the paradox from them both, as well as pushing the horrific attack that John was suffering further away from his conscious mind. Ignorance truly was bliss in this instance, as the alternative would've meant heartache and grief for both of them, not to mention resentment. It wasn't their fault after all.

By the time Phea had reached them, Rose was only concerned for her husband, and John was waking to new memories of the last moment the leather clad Doctor had with River. It fascinated and made him cringe at the same time. Rose was a bit amused now, as she was listening to those memories and his reaction to them. She was happy the Doctor finally found someone. Of course, they were thoroughly distracted by the ball of energy that plowed into John, blowing all the air out of his lungs in a big oomphing _'Blimey'_. "DADDY!" Rose did her best not to laugh at her husband's distress, and ruffled Phea's hair while she glommed herself around her father's neck.

Rory appeared at opposite end of the stasis field from Amy. Landing on the ground, he did a three sixty and was looking more than confused. He watched the Doctor as he carried River towards their TARDIS, then noticed the other Doctor out cold again. He grinned when Phea jumped on top of Stripes, but it vanished when he saw Amy lying in a heap next to the TARDIS he knew, still shuddering from her attack. "Amy!" He got to her just as the TARDIS doors closed.

Seeing her husband, Amy let him gather her in his arms. "I'm not crazy," she whimpered, then said it louder. "I'm Not Crazy." Rory just held her and rubbed her back. She said it again at the top of her lungs, shrieking. "I'M NOT CRAZY!" Rory flinched as he felt her fists beat at his shoulder blades while she cried. He took the blows and rocked her, as his mouth moved in an inaudible prayer.

Rory's head went back when she nearly froze in place. Opening his eyes, he saw a semi transparent beam coming from the TARDIS, and circulating through Amy's head. He didn't understand what was happening, but was so relieved when Amy's shaking slowly went away. For her part, Amy understood what had happened when that thing looked at her, but it wasn't so bad anymore. She looked up into her husband's eyes and snogged him, trying to silence her crying.

* * *

Inside the matrices, the youngest TARDIS was blaring rock music and dancing all over the place, while the other two were chatting. "So that's it, then?" the younger asked, feeling completely stunned from the whole experience.

The elder smiled. "Almost." She pointed at her daughter with her thumb. "Her Doctor will be taking yours to his room with Rory's help. Listen to what he says after Rory leaves."

The younger nodded, then stepped back when her future daughter came up and tugged on her mother's robes. "Is it happening yet?" she asked, full of excitement.

Her mother smiled, knowingly. "_Ohhhh_ yes. 'Like Rabbits!' as the Doctor would say." Her daughter giggled and rocked out some more, completely ecstatic over how things ended.

The younger shook her head. "I never would've thought they would end up together, regardless of how she survived. I honestly thought they hated each other in the end."

"You of all people should know how time changes a person," the elder said with an amused expression.

The younger gave her a chastising look. "Don't rub it in. At least I have this to look forward to."

Their daughter bounced in between them again. "Does she know about mine and how they...?"

"Oh! I almost forgot! Thank you dear." Their daughter smiled and bounced away again. "When you see your daughter for the first time and are docked with her, give her plans for a Gallifreyan arboretum, as well as seeds, plants, fruits, and vegetables." She looked over to their daughter. "How did that go, anyway?" Even though she knew the answer already, she was anticipating what her daughter was about to do.

She bounced back to them with a beaming smile. "It worked _beautifully_ mother!" she cooed with her head tilted to the side. "You should've seen them. In fact..." She transmitted her memory of the event to the elder, who started laughing riotously at a near cackle. "I _knoooow_! It was _so_ completely _ridiculous_! They wanted it so much, but were afraid of pushing each other away! Ended up having to pinch their kits when they were in the grass to get them to bond properly! So silly."

The younger looked shocked at first, then snickered. "Oh my. Good to know. I'll do that."

Their daughter pointed at the younger. "Don't forget the apples and pears!"

"Uhm, shouldn't he hate pears?" the younger asked.

Their daughter giggled. "Oh he does, but she _loves_ them!" She laughed and bounced away again, now rocking out to a rewritten duet of _'I Ran (So Far Away)_' by '_Flock of Seagulls_', sung by both John and Rose of all people. It was his voice that got their attention first, but then hers as well when she came into the chorus. The elder smiled, remembering.

_(John)  
All Throughout Time and Space I Flew  
I never thought I'd meet a girl like you  
Meet a girl like you_

_(Rose)  
Your crazy hair and big brown eyes  
The kind of eyes that hyp-no-tize me through  
Hypn-otize me through_

_(both)  
And We Ran  
We ran so far away  
We just ran  
We ran all night and day_

_(Rose)  
We couldn't pull away_

_(John)  
The glow appears behind your eyes  
A blaze of light comes shining out from you  
Shining out from you_

_(Rose)  
The dawn is moving nearer still  
Aurora Bor-eal-is comes in view  
(both)  
Aurora comes in view_

_(both)  
And We Ran  
We ran so far away  
We just ran  
We ran all night and day  
(John)  
We couldn't pull away_

_(Rose)  
Reached out a hand to touch your face  
And through it all I fi-nal-ly found you  
Fin-al-ly found you_

_(John)  
You reached your hand to touch my face  
I'm floating in a blaze of light with you  
Blaze of light with you_

_(both)  
And We Ran  
We ran so far away  
We just ran  
We ran all night and day_

_(both)  
And We Ran  
We ran so far away  
We just ran  
We couldn't pull away_

When she caught on to what the words were saying, the younger turned to her future daughter. After the song was over, she had to ask. "Where in the _universe_ did you get that?"

"Hmm?" She turned. "Oh! One of his dreams from that night! Isn't it perfect? He did it first as a solo to her by accident, but then later they did it while they were dreaming together. I _love_ this song!" She started it over and proceeded to act silly with dancing some more. Only this time, she added the dream itself so they could watch their version of the '80's music video.

Her mother laughed and nodded her head to the beat, but the younger missed a few of the references, not having lived through most of them. She did catch the hints of bonding near the end though. Still though, she enjoyed watching them sing to each other, cringing at John's swept up hair. When the fifth, fourth, and eighth Doctors appeared as the guitarist, basist, and drummer respectively, the younger laughed like a madwoman, while the elder giggled despite having seen it before.

* * *

After the Tylers and Ponds recovered somewhat, they gathered next to the eldest TARDIS to check up on each other. John filled them in on what he now remembered, while Rory told them what he saw of the Doctor and River.

Amy's eyes widened with a big smile. "It's now? It's happening now?" She almost bounced in place from excitement.

"Yep!" Rose and John replied, popping the p.

Phea and Rory were confused, but Phea beat him to the question. "Wha's happ'nin' now mummy?"

"Your uncle and River just got hitched," Rose said with a huge smile.

Rory's eyes matched his wife's now. "You're kidding!" to which the Tyler's nodded their heads slowly, all smiles. "Brilliant! Now I got someone on my side when this one gets all pervy on the bow tie." Amy whacked his arm while Rose and John laughed.

John turned to his wife. "Hon, you mind taking Amy to the kitchen for a cuppa? I don't think they need us in there for a while. Rory and I will be there in a minute. We need to handle the U-Boat captain over there."

"Sure!" Rose picked Phea up and took the redhead's hand. "C'mon Amy. Bout time you saw our Girl. She'll love ya." Amy smiled and gave Rory a quick kiss before she was led off.

John and Rory walked over to Leather. "So. How're we going to handle this, Doctor?" Rory asked him.

"Very delicately. And it's just John, by the way," he replied. "After we get him inside, I need to have a talk with his TARDIS in private. Can you get his feet? I'll handle the big-eared end." They both snickered at the joke.

* * *

"Wow. Yours is real different looking," Amy said as they came into the console room.

Rose nodded. "Between you and me, I really can't stand what the Doctor did in redecorating. Still a bit peeved at him in general, though."

"Over what?" Amy asked, concerned.

Rose tilted her head to Phea. "I'll explain later."

"Oh God, he's got _you_ doin' it now," Amy complained. Rose giggled at that.

* * *

"Holy crap! This is the TARDIS?" Rory said when they lugged the Doctor in. "Doesn't look a thing like the other one."

John just nodded. "When he regenerated into the one you know, the energy he'd absorbed pretty much decimated the TARDIS as it was released." The TARDIS hummed a grimace. "Yeah, sorry dear!"

They went through the console room and took the Doctor to his room. They took off his leather coat and boots, then slumped him onto his stomach on the bed. John spent a minute getting him just so, then put his coat over a chair and his boots in two separate places.

Rory was confused. "Why so particular?"

"Hmm? Oh. I'm putting things where they were when the Doctor woke up after this mess. He's heading to two thousand and five right after he wakes up, so I don't want anything out of place." He paused, then went back to the Doctor and placed his left hand over the back of his head. "Sorry mate, I know that's gonna cramp." He turned and pulled Rory from the room.

After the door was closed, he tried to explain. "Sorry. Just had to make sure. He's going to go pick up Rose after this."

"Pardon? Isn't that your wife?" Rory asked.

John nodded as they headed back to the console room. "She traveled with him for two years. That's how we met." He held up his right hand and pointed at it. "This was his, remember?"

"Ohhh! Right. So... do they..." Rory wasn't sure how to ask that question, but he was understandably curious.

John shook his head. "River locked his mind and libido down to the point to where he was oblivious to the signals Rose was giving him. While I know she was irritated beyond belief with him, it still needs to happen. Otherwise, we'll never fall in love. I _really_ don't want that to get cocked up."

Rory stopped them just before they got to the console room. "Wait-a-minute. If she did that and you're him, how the hell did you get over it?"

John laughed. "Ohhh, she was taking what your Doctor tried to do, and did it better. The trigger that unlocked my mind was another companion." He started them forward again and stopped next to the time rotor, pointing to the floor. "I was born right here." He held up his hand again. "The Doctor used this to stop himself from regenerating completely when he was shot by a Dalek." He paused and looked up to the ceiling. "That was your idea by the way. Don't forget that when the missing planets are found, eh?" The TARDIS rumbled an affirmative and he heard, _Don't worry dear, I'll definitely remember that, my other Beloved._

John smiled and continued. "_Annnny_way. The companion in question was Donna Noble. After this hand was primed with the extra regenerative energy, she was locked in here and was compelled to touch the jar it was being held in. The energy grabbed her and used part of her DNA to complete the regenerative cycle. I literally _grew_ out of this hand." He paused for breath while Rory boggled at that, staring at the hand in question.

"AND! Since hands don't wear clothes, she was completely _stunned_ to see me sit up bare arsed. When she said, rather loudly I might add... and _boy_ can she shout," he imitated Donna's voice, surprising Rory. "You're Na-ked!" He went back to his normal voice. "River's block on my libido and emotions let go completely, letting me express myself to Rose. Now, I still didn't remember this day at all until it was over, but after everything was said and done, I was able to fully love Rose like I was meant to. There's a bit more to it, and that's what I need to talk to the TARDIS about. Would you mind hopping outside for a bit? Wont take long, I promise."

Rory tried taking all that in, but John's rapid gob was a challenge. He nodded though, and stepped outside while he mulled all that over.

After the door closed behind him. John spoke up in his mind while blocking the Doctor. "_Okay, dear. This is what we need to do. I'm going to set the coordinates, but you need to land exactly thirty three seconds after you left Rose and Mickey in that back alley, in the same exact spot. Take enough time to allow big ears back there to wake up, so he'll think he did this. And you probably should insert a memory of him doing it so there wont be any questions._"

A holographic representation of the TARDIS's avatar appeared next to him, smiling. _You have an interesting mind, John. I quite like it._

He smiled. _"Thanks, dear. You have no idea how much I've missed you. Your daughter is wonderful, mind you. But you never forget your first, even if they are borrowed memories."_

The lights dimmed, and the projection became solid. She hugged him close, and memorized his mental patterns, including the details of his birth, before pulling back and kissing his forehead. Then she became transparent again, while the lights came back up. _I look forward to seeing you for the first time,_ she said. _Even though it looks like it will hurt more than a little._

John nodded with a sad look. _"Sorry about that. But there's more I need to tell you, and this is very bloody important."_

She looked at him expectantly. _Yes?_

John's face was grim. He swallowed before telling her. _"Seven hundred, and forty eight relative Earth days after Rose comes on board, she will be separated from the Doctor by the Void. It very nearly kills him."_

She put her hands over her mouth and started to cry. _No!_

John nodded, sniffling himself. _"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry, but it has to happen this way. He'll locate a star that's going nova to send her a message, and it will hurt you _immensely_ to send it. But, no matter how much you want him to finish, you HAVE to cut the transmission before he tells her he loves her. No. Matter. What. You can scan my memories if you want to verify what I'm telling you, but he must not tell her. River Song is his future wife. That mustn't change for anything. Donna helps him through his first suicidal moment, and Martha Jones does for the second."_

The TARDIS was openly weeping at this point. Her hands went to either side of his head as she scanned his memories, not wanting to believe it. Her eyes squeezed shut with tears when she saw he was telling the truth.

John nodded and tried to smile. _"Turns out right in the end though. River is his future. Ask your future self what they're doing and you'll know."_

She nodded, smiling sadly. _She already told me. I just cannot believe that he'll go through all that first._

_"You have to be his rock. Soothe him when he really needs it, any way you can. He'll meet River, but wont know she's a Time Lord in hiding. She does something that will end her current regeneration, but I know she has a few more left in her, so it will be all right in the end. In fact, I'm pretty sure he's planning to go get her new self at the Library after he drops off her current one. I would at any rate." _

The TARDIS looked over her shoulder and closed her eyes briefly. _He almost woke up. I put him back to sleep._

_"Right then, I'll make this quick." _John said as he launched himself around the console, flipping and spinning the controls. _"Thirty Three Seconds!"_ he reminded her. When he was done, he ran for the door only to find it locked. He turned around when the lights dimmed again.

She came over to him and hugged him once more, and whispered in his ear. "I wont forget. I promise."

He kissed her cheek, and held on for a few seconds. When he let go, she disappeared completely as the door opened. John stepped out to find Rory leaning against the other door. "Everything all right then?" Rory asked him, noticing his wet cheeks.

John wiped his face. "Yeah. Just had to tell her some of the things that he's about to go through, and it's going to be rough as hell."

Rory popped up straight when he heard the TARDIS start up. They watched it fade, and Rory became concerned again when John put a hand to his forehead trying to hold back his tears. He put a hand on his shoulder. "You _sure_ you're all right?"

John shook his head. "No, not really. From your point of view, what just left was a bit more than seventeen years ago from our point of view. I have all of those memories, and it very nearly kills him a few times. I _hate_ that he has to go through it at all." He shook his head to clear it. "Right. Sorry. I'll be okay. C'mon, lets see what the wives are up to, yeah? Better head them off before they start telling embarrassing stories about us."

Rory scoffed as they made their way to the youngest TARDIS. "Fat lot of good we'll be, then. They'll tell 'em anyway just to see our faces."

"Too right!" John laughed. "I like you. You tell it like it is. So are you really Rory _Pond_?"

He snickered. "Williams."

"Smith! Nice to meet ya!" They shook hands and laughed.

* * *

After hugs and kisses, Rose and Amy both tucked Phea down. The poor dear was too knackered for even a biscuit. Rose wondered a bit about how much stronger her daughter's mind felt, but put it aside to ask John about later. The girls fawned over each other's engagement and wedding bands over tea, then got to some serious girl talk.

"So... how'd he propose?" Amy asked her. Rose sputtered in her tea and blushed profusely. "Ohhhh. Now I HAVE to hear this!" She scooted her chair closer and leaned in, grinning.

Rose glanced all around, trying to find a way out of her predicament. "Uhm... the first or second time?" she said, wincing.

Amy sat back, stunned. "You said _no_?" She blinked and didn't know how to react to that without being mean. "The hell's wrong with you? He's gorgeous!"

"I _knooooow_," Rose whinged. "Bu' it was bad timing!"

"What happened?"

Rose fretted over her tea. "Well... we just ran into a future version of little Phea, and I freaked out. It wasn' my fault!" she protested.

Amy was intrigued, instead of surprised. "Seriously? What's she look like when she's older, then?"

"Oh, she's _beautiful_! I thought she was trying to move in on John at first, though. I very nearly _slapped_ her."

Amy snorted and covered her mouth. "Oh my God. What happened then?"

Rose nodded, wincing again. "Scared her half to death. And when John told me who she was, I flipped right off my trolley. All I could do was stand there with my mouth open, gaping like a fish."

"Don't tell me, he proposed right then and there?" Amy asked, trying real hard not to laugh.

Rose nodded, and heard Amy's snorting laugh. "He was on cloud nine! He made this months before asking me," she held up her hand, showing her the ring again. "And he blundered all over it, like a right idiot!"

Amy blanched and grabbed her hand to look at the ring more closely. Staring at the intricate loops of gold that made up the band, _not knowing they were Modern High Gallifreyan words that meant all the different inflections of 'forever'_, then she noted the diamonds that surrounded the clear opal center stone. She turned it this way and that, looking at how the light made the opal look like it had a golden radiance inside it. "He _MADE_ this? Oh I hate you," she snickered.

"Wha'? Yours is beautiful!" Rose complained.

Amy waved her off. "I know, I know. But still. He _made_ this?" she asked again, not totally convinced.

Rose nodded. "With his sonic. I didn't believe it either 'til he showed me how."

"Lucky prat." They snickered. "So, what about the second time?"

Rose blushed again and shook her head rapidly. "Your turn."

"Oh alright," Amy relented. "He took me out to dinner. We drove to London and saw the '_Love in a Village_' opera."

Rose held up her hands, knowing this one. "What? That one's _horrible_! The girl runs away from her own wedding!"

"Turned out to be prophetic," Amy snickered. "The night before was when the Doctor found me again, after telling me at age seven that he was going to be back in five minutes, then two years after he found me the first time..." she trailed off in a grump.

Rose laughed outright. "He STILL can't land to save his arse?"

Amy's eyes nearly popped out. "Oh, don't tell me he did that before?"

She nodded. "He brought me back to see my mum '_twelve hours_' after we left," she held up finger quotes. "Only it was twelve _Months_! Mum thought I was _murdered_! By my _old_ _boyfriend_, no less!" They both cackled for a while at that.

Rose waved her on. "Sorry. Keep going. Prophetic?"

It was Amy's turn to blush, and she looked away. "Uhm... I-left-with-the-Doctor-the-night-before-my-wedding," she said in a rush.

Rose's mouth dropped open. "No... Way!"

Amy hid her face in her hands and nodded. "Even tried snoggin him one time, but he wasn't havin' it. Thought he was playing for the other team for a while there."

Rose rolled her eyes. "_Tell_ me abou' it! I can' _tell_ you how many times I tried that. Especially after he regenerated. Cor... he was _gorgeous_!"

"Yeah, but you lucked out though. Prat."

Rose gave her a smug look, then snickered. "Yeah, I think I did there, a bit."

Amy whacked her arm, making them both laugh. "Was that the other reason you said no at first?"

She thought about that a minute, then shook her head. "Not really. I was pretty upset with the Doctor at that point. He dropped us in another universe after we defeated the Daleks." Amy went wide eyed at that. "Spent almost a year growing this baby," she patted the wall, which hummed happily, "and we ended up back in this universe before he asked me. Running into an adult Phea really knocked me sideways for a bit, there." She hung her head and rested it on the table. "I'm such a hypocrite sometimes," she muttered.

Amy tilted her head. "How'd you mean?"

Rose lifted her head just enough to say wincing with closed eyes, "Did-the-same-to-my-mum-in-the-eighties," and dropped her head back to the table with a thunk.

Amy's eyes bulged and whacked the back of her head. "You _knew_ that could happen, and you flipped out anyway?"

"I _knooooow_! I'm _horrible_!" Rose said into the table.

Amy lifted Rose's head from the table and wagged her finger at her. "Shame on you, scaring your wee girl like that!" She held her angry face for a moment, then snickered. "Mind you, think I'd do the same if we ever run into mine."

Rose sighed in relief and lifted her hands in triumph. "_THANK_ you!"

"Now..." Amy prodded. "The Second Time... Out with it!"

Rose's hands went from the air to her face and she shook her head. The TARDIS squibbled her laughter over it, and a monitor popped static from the wall. Alarmed, Rose stared at the ceiling. "DON'T YOU DARE!"

Amy stared at the monitor, then looked back at Rose. "What? Was she going to show me?"

"YES!" she squeaked. "God! I _hate_ being ganged up on! Alright! I'll tell her!" This got some more squibbling laughter.

Amy glanced upward with her eyes. "Is that... laughter?"

"Shut it! I said I'd tell you." Rose complained, fully red faced back to her ears.

Amy giggled. "Oh this has got to be good."

"Did John say anything about bonding?" Rose asked... trying to delay the inevitable.

Amy nodded. "Yeah, he said you two can hear each other in your heads. That's gotta be weird."

Rose smiled wistfully. "It was at first, sorta. Now I can't think of it being any other way. I _love_ it."

Amy prodded her with a finger. "Okay... out with it sister!"

"Uhm..." Rose blushed more. "Wellll, we sort of bonded _before_ getting married."

Amy tilted her head. "How'd'you mean?"

Rose was stammering at this point. "Well, you see. Uhm... well... GOD THIS IS HARD!" she complained.

Amy rested her head in her hands, enjoying the show. "Mmm-hmmm."

Blowing out a breath, she tried again. "John's half human, so he has both human and Gallifreyan hormones runnin' through him."

"Hold up. Gallifreyan?" Amy asked.

"Sorry. That's where Time Lords are from. Gallifrey."

Amy nodded. "Right... okay... con-_tin_-ue." she sing songed the last word.

Rose had to close her eyes. "All through our initial relationship, we didn't... uhm... the bed..."

"You didn't have sex?" Amy blurted out.

Rose shook her head, her eyes still closed. "He was afraid that we'd bond if we did. He didn't trust the mix of hormones in his body... and he... well... he was _right_. Wasn't his fault though." She looked up. "It was HERS!" A mixture of pings, pangs, wibbles, and echoey thuds resounded all around the pair of them.

"She's spooky when she laughs," Amy said, staring at the ceiling. "How was it her fault, then?"

Rose looked at her before closing her eyes again. "We were talking abou' it in the new arboretum, and that was when he told me about how Gallifreyan's get married. What 'appens to their minds. That it's permanent. How what we feel is felt by the other. The whole thing, up to and including his fears of it 'appening by accident."

Amy nodded, catching on. "Go on..." she sounded amused.

Rose's head tilted with her lips tight. "Well, I told him I wouldn't mind him in my head all the time. Already said yes finally. And we went to cuddle..." She opened her eyes and glared at the ceiling. "And this little witch decided it'd be fun to steal our kit!"

More laughter from the TARDIS, and Amy joined right in... cackling. "Oh my God! She _didn't_!"

"She _DID_!" She stared at Amy, exasperated. "There was no stopping us then!" Rose breathed a bit, then got a dreamy look on her face. "But... Oh. My. Goooood. It was _woooonderfulllll_!"

Amy's mouth hung open. "But you said you feel what he feels... So that means he... and you..." Rose got a sheepish grin on her face and slightly nodded, blushing more. "You Bitch!"

"Blewww Myyyy Miiinnnnnnnd!" Rose sighed wistully, leaning back in her chair. She shivered, remembering. She mouthed the next bit. _'Couldn't walk for three days._'

Amy was completely bugged out. "I want what you're having!"

"Get your own!" Rose said, feigning jealousy. They both laughed.

Amy reached over and placed her hands on Rose's shoulders. "I. Hate. You. So. Much. Right now." Then she sat back and fanned herself with her hand. "So... what'd you tell your parents?"

Rose sat up sharply in a mild panic. "They saw our wedding! That's all they need to know!"

Amy laughed at her. "You didn't tell them! Oh that's _Rich_!"

The TARDIS nudged Rose's mind, and she looked up. "Hmm?" Then she heard the boys amplified in her ears coming down the corridor, laughing at something. "Hush up, now. They're back."

They straightened up and acted like they were completely collected. "Still jealous though. Phea's gorgeous." Amy said, making Rose smile.

John and Rory came into the kitchen and stopped dead when their wives stared at them. Amy couldn't help but stare at John with envy. "What?" he asked, before turning to Rory. "I was right. They're talking 'bout us."

Rose and Amy fought their snickers.

* * *

_A/N2:  
The referenced 'apples and pears' up there is an actual thread over at the place I RP as the metacrisis. It's a little bit 'M', but it's poetic and inferred rather than explicit. Hit my profile for the link to where I RP if you want to see it. _=)  
(_If I get permission from Rose's player and the admins, I may be able to rewrite it in prose format for here later when it's finished. Will have to wait and see.)_


	14. The End is Only the Beginning

_**A/N: LAST CHAPTER**_

* * *

The Doctor's bedroom was only lit by a single wall sconce, reflecting most of the light off of the wall and ceiling. Two barely moving lumps were under the duvet and sheets, with disheveled heads peeking out the top of them. The Doctor and River had a hand on the side of the other's face, and were both more than a little pleasantly exhausted.

The Doctor stirred a little, and moved so his forehead was against hers. "Mmmm, yes. I do believe I need to start storing some tobacco."

River's heavy lidded eyes popped open to stare at him. "You don't smoke!"

"Maybe not, but I think I'm starting to see the allure," he said with a chuckle, causing her to giggle. "That was... bloody _fantastic_."

"It was, wasn't it?" she giggled some more. "Much better than I thought it could be... or should be," she agreed.

The Doctor moved to lean up slightly, and rested his head on his left hand. "Is it too soon to ask how you survived?" he asked, while running a finger around her left ear.

River scrunched her eyes together. "E-space," she muttered.

"What?" The Doctor's eyes bulged. "But that's brilliant!"

River shushed him with a hand to his lips, then pulled him down for another snog before pushing her eyes into his neck. "Can we not talk about that? It should not have worked, but it did. Lost K-9 and my TARDIS in the process."

"Oh, I'm sorry." he said, giving her a peck on the top of her head. "Can build you another K-9 if you like? Grow another TARDIS, maybe?"

She shook her head. "Hmm-mmm. Got what I want right here." Her hand slid down and made a point of her statement with what it got a hold of. "Not leaving you again."

"Good answer," he groaned, making her giggle again. "Going to have to though, I'm afraid." He flinched when she nearly pinched something she shouldn't have, and stared up at him. "Sorry!" he squeaked. "You meet me a few times before my present now!"

"Bollocks," she muttered, frustrated.

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, and I like them uncrushed, thank you!"

She giggled again and let go. "Oh, you big baby. Let me make it up to you." She ducked under the covers and slid down.

The Doctor's eyes bulged. "That's not fair! That's... that's..." His eyes rolled up and closed. "Oh that's just... _brilliant_," he sighed as he rolled to his back. He heard her giggle again, somewhat muffled.

* * *

John was staring at his wife with a shocked look on his face. Rose, on the other hand, was completely crimson and hiding behind her hands. He and Rory had joined their wives tea break a few minutes ago, and were just told what the two hens were talking about. Amy thought it'd be a good idea, but Rose was going to either kill her or die from embarrassment. She didn't know which would win out first, though.

"You fibbing fibber!" John said with an alarming high pitch to his voice. "I asked you _one_ time, and one time _only_!"

"Don't look at me," Rose muttered and turned away from them. John's brow went up and he mentally showed her what he was staring at... which was her bum. "I said don't look at me!" she shrieked.

John looked at Amy while pointing at his wife's bum with his thumb. "Blondie here did say no when I asked. Took finding Mister Bow Tie before she came 'round."

Amy bust out laughing when Rose spun about. "It did not! Nimrod almost killed you!"

"Yeahhh, bout killed you too," John nodded with a shudder. "So it wasn't how 'teacher-man' kept brushing you off, then?"

Rose narrowed her eyes. But instead of a retort, her mouth just opened and closed. Amy could hardly breathe at this point, knowing exactly how she felt. Rory started to pat Amy's back rather hard in an attempt to get her to stop laughing.

"I am so glad I'm not the only one," Rory said, speaking to John. "Here's to ya mate!" He lifted his teacup to him then downed it. Fortunately, he finished it before he was nearly shoved from the table from a half angry redhead.

"Tha's my brother alright. Laaaady Killah!" John said, echoing 'the last human' Cassandra, then laughed outright when Rose banged his arm hard with her knuckles.

"Tha's so not fair!" Rose whinged. "I wanted him to apologize!"

"For which? The first or second time on the beach?" John asked. "Mind you, he's got a third time to atone for now." Rose punched his arm again. "Ow! All right fine! I wasn't going to mention this, but the timing of the third one was very bloody specific."

Amy was quiet now, intrigued, while Rory busied himself in refilling everyone's cups. Rose stopped being mad long enough to look confused. "How'd'you mean?"

John's face fell. He was going to tell her up till when she asked. His feelings of guilt over not telling her for so long, plus the way she'd react, made him mum on the subject. Instead of answering, he stuffed an entire biscuit in his mouth.

"Oh no. You're not getting outta that." Rose said. "Tell me."

John glanced at her from the side and washed the biscuit down. "Well... Uhm... Not so much the when, but what was happening at the same time."

Rose crossed her arms. "Which was?"

_"Oh god, how do I get out of this?"_ John thought.

"You don't!" Rose answered aloud, confusing Amy and Rory.

John sighed. "A dimension over, you were busy telling him your feelings, before the transmission got cut off."

Rose's eyes went wide, and it didn't look like she had any eyelids from the expression. "He did wha'?" she bellowed. "That Bastard!" She stood up and made for the door, but John caught her arm and spun her into his lap. "Let me go!"

"Noooo, nono, no, no, no. You're not going over there right now." John said into her ear, holding her tight. "They're busy."

"I don't care! That was heartless!" Rose said with tears in her eyes.

"He did it because of what's happening now," John whispered in her ear. "How would you have reacted if things went different only to find out he was already married, eh?"

"He didn't know," she said quietly.

John shook his head. "He may not have known consciously, but it was still rattling about in his subconscious."

Rose turned her head to look at Amy. "Guess tha's why he fought you off as well, then."

Amy gave her a look of sympathy. "Most likely." That made Rory's eyebrows go up. She noticed and put her hand on top of his. "Why else you think he came and got you?"

Rory looked away and remembered the botched stag party. "Uhm. Yeah. Think you're right. Blimey."

"Least he has someone now," John said.

Rose squirmed. "You can let me up now."

John shook his head. "This is actually kind've comfortable."

Rose giggled despite herself, and rolled her eyes.

"Wait-a-minute," Amy said, realizing something. "How did you find him all tweed-i-fied? We've been with him the whole time I thought?"

John glanced over. "He said he left you at some amusement park? Didn't want either of you to get caught up in that mess."

"Remind me to say thank you," Rory said, earning another whap to his arm.

"He went off on his own?" Amy asked.

Rose nodded, shifting around. "Yeah. Good thing we were there too, or he could've ended up with yet another face."

Amy scowled. "That is so like him. So what happened?"

* * *

The four were still in the kitchen, laughing it up with stories back and forth when they were interrupted. "Here they are!" The Doctor said, announcing their presence. This got four sets of eyes on him and a chorus of cackles. "What?" He looked at John first, but soon realized that he wasn't going to be on his side this time. He said "Stop it!" and made the laughing worse.

"What are you all going on about?" River asked.

Rory was able to speak first. "We're just telling stories. Nothing special." John gave him a look, and they were going again.

Snickering, Rose stood up and walked over to the Doctor. She poked a finger in his chest. "You... are a right bastard." Her face went hard and she gave him a Tyler slap across the face.

John's mouth hung open as he rubbed his own cheek. "Blimey, even _I _felt that."

"What'd I do?" The Doctor asked, rubbing his cheek and looking like a scolded schoolboy.

Rose squinted her eyes at him. "Tha's for the third time at the bay. Bad enough you left us there, but to do it at the same time I was telling you I love you in that other dimension?" She slapped him again, and the Doctor backed up with his hands in front of him. Rose grumbled, "prat" and wet to sit down again.

River poked his side. "I can't take you anywhere, can I?"

"It wasn't my fault!" he whinged. "A complete accident!" he lied through his teeth.

"Likely story," River said, knowingly. "Now, what do I have to do to get some tea around here?"

* * *

_While the three couples rest and recuperate over tea and biscuits, we take a peek at where the ship had once crashed to find a barren and empty field, devoid of any scar or blemish.  
_

* * *

The Doctor groaned and rolled over to sit up from where John and Rory placed him not fifteen minutes ago. He yawned loudly and rubbed his eyes with the palm of his hands. Feeling a nudge from the TARDIS, he put his jacket on and spent a couple of minutes locating his boots.

"Are we there yet?" he asked the ceiling as he came into the console room. Feeling an 'almost' coming from the ship, he scanned the monitor briefly then went to the door. When the ship thunked its arrival, he opened it to see Rose standing in front of Mickey a bit away from where they were when he left them ages ago.

"By the way, did I mention? It also travels in time," he said before ducking back inside, leaving the door open.

Rose turned to Mickey. "Thanks."

"Thanks for wha'?" Mickey asked, confused.

Rose smiled. "Exactly." She leaned in and kissed his cheek, then turned and ran into the TARDIS with a huge smile on her face. She came to a stop at the console, wide eyed, and with her smile nearly splitting her face.

"Right then Rose Tyler, you tell me. Where do you want to go, backwards or forwards in time?" The Doctor asked rather smugly, playing catch with what looked to be a glass paperweight.

* * *

End

_**A/N2: And that's it! I suppose I could've done more here, but to do so would drag it out in my opinion. Hope everyone likes the ending! Comment if it strikes you! Love feedback!**_


End file.
